APAPA Traffic: Importers Begin Diversion of Vessels to Calabar

ABIOLA Seun |

After prolonged period of low vessels traffic, shipping activities at the Eastern Ports progressively picking up as over 10 ships are berthing at Calabar Port with bulk and general cargoes.

Leading the resurgence of cargo traffic are premium motor spirit, bulk maize, bulk wheat and automotive gas oil.

A total of 16,000 metric tonnes of bulk wheat and 4,000mt of butane are expected to be discharged at the port by various vessels between the end of August and the first week in September, the daily shipping position of the Calabar Pilotage District reveals.

In the same breadth, MT Adebomi 3 and MT Oluwaseun will deliver a total of 15, 967.750mt of premium motor spirit or petrol at the port.

According to districts Shipping Position covering the period, other vessels are expected to discharge other goods which include general cargo. These vessels include MV Queen Esther, MV Desert Unity, MV Agamba, Brenda Corlette, among others.

Ships expected to follow at the Calabar Pilotage District include MV Chimba Express, MV Miriam 1, MV Eternity C, MT Rosemary, among others.

They are scheduled to discharge 16,500mt of bulk wheat, 12,000mt of bulk maize, general cargo and 4,944.257mt of automotive gas oil or diesel.

The upsurge is coming against the backdrop of crippling process of cargo delivery in Lagos ports that account for more than 80 percent of non-oil cargoes shipped into the country. The comparatively high number of vessels scheduled to berth at Calabar Port is seen as the first sign of shippers’ exasperation with the nightmare associated with Lagos since the port access roads completely failed.