NPA scouts for another N50 billion to dredge Calabar Port

Abiola Seun

The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has declared that the dredging of Calabar port would gulp fresh amount of N50billion to make it navigable for modern deep- sea going vessels.

As a result, the Authority has decided to revisit the entire procurement process of the port.
The 64 kilometres Calabar port channel has consistently been very problematic for the NPA and a money- guzzler due to its high siltation level.

This has made it to had gulped billions of naira in previous dredging exercises which have not yielded positive results.

In a chat with newsmen, the general manager, Corporate and Strategic Communications, Engr. Adam’s Jatto also disclosed that the authority has started steps for rehabilitation of the collapsed quay apron and other facilities at the Port Harcourt port, Rivers state.

Jatto said that it would take a whopping N50million to dredge the calabar port and it would determine the economic of scales before it could spend such amount on the dredging.

He said, “On the shallow draft at Calabar, we want to revisit the entire procurement process because the problem is that we have to dredge calabar and we are talking of about N50billion to dredge it and we have to look at economic of scales so if we dredge to the required length, can we get vessels to come in their? and for how long are we going to recoup the money?

“So, those are the area we are looking at to see what can be done but by and large we want to commission a consultant to look at it, give us a business case to see how viable they are if they are to be dredged but what we doing in calabar now is to appeal to shippers with low bed to move to calabar.”

Speaking on Portharcourt port, the GM said the management is revisiting the re-construction of the collapsed infrastructure at the port.

“As per port Harcourt, we have serious issues relating to the quay aprons because they have deteriorated but we have commenced procurement process to ensure that the port is properly rehabilitated so that bigger vessels can come in,” he disclosed.

Speaking on security, at the eastern port, he said the authority is partnering with relevant authority to combat it.

“As per security, we know the problem we have in the eastern ports as per the unrest there but NPA and NIMASA are partnering with Navy to curb it to the barest minimum so if we equally have to look at it, we will see that international piracy agencies have given us kudos to the level of piracy on the waterway. We are doing our best but its work in progress and not that we have folded our arms.”