Collapsed Warri port breakwater worries NPA

The management of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has expressed concerns over the collapse of the Breakwater at the Warri Port, Delta State, which was attributed to the high level of siltation experienced at the Port and makes it un-navigable for bigger vessels.

Breakwaters are structures constructed on coasts as part of coastal management to protect an anchorage from the effects of both weather and longshore drift. It also reduces the intensity of wave action in inshore waters and thereby reduces coastal erosion or provides safe harbourage.

Also, anchorage is only safe if ships anchored are protected from the force of high winds and powerful waves by some large underwater barriers which they can shelter behind.
However, the agency has concluded plans to reconstruct the broken breakwaters in a bid to reduce the level of siltation.

Ms Hadiza Usman, the Managing Director of NPA, told the visiting Acting Director General of the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), Engr. Chidi Izuwah, that, the authority was ready to begin the construction of the collapse breakwater and dredging of the channel to 7meters.

“Actually we are having issue of breakwater because it has collapsed and the breakwater reconstruction was joined with breakwater proposal for the construction of Ogedengb‎e port and that stopped the consultancy service for the construction.

According to her, necessary steps had been taken for the two projects to commence but “primarily, this dredging to seven meters is very important because vessels can only come in during high tide and they can’t come in within a period and the attendant revenue loss is quite high when we look at the need for utilisation in that location.”

She further informed, that, the authority had contacted contracting firm to expand its scope to Warri and Escravos for dredging and the preliminary costing required had been done.

The NPA Chief Executive said her agency would determine the vessel traffic that would arise following channels management because that determines how worthwhile its investment shall be.

“The channel dredging and other activities will ensure that the traffic is commensurate with the investment that we are about to make so we really appreciate that and we have determined to have channel management to Warri access.”

Speaking on dredging of the channel from 5meters to 7 meters depth, she said, “We are making presentation to Federal Executive Council for‎ approval for the dredging of the Escravos to 7meters as opposed to 5 meters. If given approval, it will be a four months dredging exercise and when you visit, you will be told about vessels grounding; so, FEC will determine what will happen to dredging of Warri and grounding of vessels in that location.