CALABAR PORT, THE OUTLET TO NORTH EAST

Abiodun Oba I

Calabar Port has been described as the only outlet to make distribution to other locations that are connected to the port axis. It is the only port that opens to the North East of Nigeria; so it is used as a base to distribute petroleum products.

The Port Manager, Calabar Port, Mrs. Olufunmilayo Olotu, disclosed this to our correspondent on the side lines of a quarterly stakeholders’ forum organised by the Nigerian Ports Authority on Thursday.

Mrs Olotu pointed out that the number of vessels calling at Calabar Port has increased by about 40 per cent since the end of the first quarter of this year.

According to her, “The liquid bulk has increased due to the fact that for now, Calabar becomes the only outlet to make distribution to other locations that are connected to this axis. Ours is the only port that opens to the North East of Nigeria; so they are using Calabar as a base to distribute petroleum products.”

Olotu pointed out that, with the call by the Nigeria Ports Authority Managing Director Hadiza Usman on operators of flat-bottom vessels to call at ports where the ocean level was not that deep, the number of such bottom vessels calling at the port had been on the increase.

The Calabar port Manager said that the conclusion of a trade initiative with a Greek carrier, Messrs Atlantic Bulk Carrier Management Limited, resulted in the maiden voyage of MV Desert Ranger – 62,000-tonnes, 2017-built, 200m-long flat-bottom vessel, to Calabar Port in October, with two tug boats in attendance. Adding that, another 200m-long, flat-bottom vessel of similar built, MV Desert Harrier, called at the port during the same period.

Olotu revealed that, consultations with port management and investors had resulted in the exportation of 54,530 metric tonnes of cement from the Calabar Port to the Port of Tema in Ghana by Lafarge Africa in the fourth quarter of 2017.

The manager pointed out that the voyages had been consistent, with an estimated 100,000 tonnes of cement expected to be exported from the Calabar Port every quarter.

According to her, “Outside adverse weather conditions, the pattern has been consistent every fortnight with two additional vessels – Asian Pearl and Atlantic Spirit – added to MV Melina,”

The General Manager, Marine and Operations, NPA, Joshua Asanga, who represented the NPA Managing Director Hadiza Usman at the stakeholders’ forum, said that if all the other government agencies responsible for all the things that make the port work efficiently continue to work on such areas like the channels, external infrastructure support and security to the ports, there will be a totally efficient environment.