Maritime
Lekki port to reduce Apapa congestion, boost bilateral trade
LAGOS: Respite may be in sight for many users of the Apapa ports as the congestion problem in the ports may soon be addressed with the near conclusion of the Lekki Port project.
Specifically, The Guardian gathered that going by the accelerated pace of work on the project, the Lekki port may become operational by the third quarter of 2016.
Indeed, industry watchers and stakeholders believe that the project would aid Nigeria’s maritime sector in witnessing a major boost translating into rapid economic growth for the country, which would also help shape trade business for good in the entire West African region and by extension Africa as whole.
The port, which is to be located in the Lagos Free Trade Zone at the Lekki sub region is a Build, Own and Transfer (BOT) plan and has been vetted by the relevant regulators.
Speaking during a media tour of the facility in Lekki at the weekend, the Managing Director of Lekki Port LFTZ Enterprise, Haresh Aswani, explained that the Lekki Port, conceptualized as a multi-product industrial and logistics hub would spread across 90 hectares of land and shall be built at an estimated cost of $1.55 billion, noting that so far, the aggregate committed amount to date is $800million while 33 out of 36 project permits have already been secured.
He further said the deep-sea port which will be located 65 km east of Lagos Mainland would become the gateway to West African region which would be one of the most efficient and modern maritime facilities that will cater to containerized, liquid and dry bulk cargo par international standards.
“In addition to bridging the capacity deficit, Lekki Port will have significant positive macroeconomic impact estimated at $361 billion over the entire concession period. It is expected to contribute more than $200 billion to the government exchequer while also creating close to 170,000 new jobs in the economy. Furthermore, Lekki Port will spur the economic development around the Lekki sub-region and on a wider perspective, the whole of Lagos State through rapid industrialization”, he added.
He further said: “In a bid to ensure, smooth and efficient operations, Lekki Port has engaged the services of leading global consultants in the mould of The Louis Berger Group Inc., Delta Marine Consultants, Berger ABAM and TBA Netherlands and the container terminal has been sub-concessioned to International Container Terminal Services, Inc, Philippines.
“The EPC construction contract has been issued on a turnkey basis to China Harbour Engineering Company which mobilized their men and machinery in August, 2012 and is already in the last lap of pre-construction investigations and site preparation activities”.
He added that Lekki Port has been conceptualized on the basis of a significant gap in projected demand and capacity needed to be met in conveying goods to and from Nigeria.
“It is however important to mention that demand is attractively high but the available capacity is not sufficient to meet this demand, that is why the economic viability of Lekki Port is founded on this un-met demand. Industry experts also reiterate that Lekki Port once operational shall play a significant role in easing out the congestion at existing Nigerian Ports”.
Aswani also pointed out, that the strategic location, optimal layout and modern facilities provide Lekki Port a distinct competitive edge over any other port facility in the West African region.
The Lekki port boss noted that “Lagos State Government’s and Nigerian Ports Authority’s (NPA) involvement as shareholders in this project, demonstrate both, their interest in the success of Lekki Port and their confidence in the Public-Private Partnership model, intended to bridge the gap in the infrastructure domain which is pivotal to the overall growth of Nigeria’s economy”.
“Our commitment to ensuring that we meet the scheduled operational date has seen us spare nothing in achieving it and as at today, we are happy to confidently say that all market engineering and impact studies have been completed over the last 6 years, likewise the Lekki port site has been gazetted as port area by the federal government. It is pertinent to also note that the Environmental Impact Assessment study (EIA) has been fully completed with IFC/World Bank guideline.
“Container terminal sub-concession has been awarded to International Common User Terminal Operator (ICTSI) focusing on emerging markets after a tedious competitive bidding. Also, Shareholders agreement has been signed between the sponsors, NPA and the Lagos State Government. We are very much on course and in no distant time Nigerians, the entire West African region and Africa as a whole, would witness a revolution never seen before in the maritime sector”.
The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, has called for a comprehensive action in Nigeria’s bid to be elected into Category C of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Council, as he inaugurated an Inter-Ministerial Committee to promote the campaign.
Speaking at the inauguration held at the Boardroom of the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy (FMMBE) in Abuja on Tuesday, Oyetola said the campaign must be all-inclusive, taking into consideration diplomatic and operational strategies in soliciting votes to yield good dividends.
He explained that, having lost out three times between 2011 and 2019 after its successful stints in 1975, 2001, and 2005, Nigeria is due to return to the Council to cement its relevance as a strategic Maritime domain and a strong voice in West Africa.
On his part, the Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), said, “The need for Nigeria’s return to Council is imperative given our strategic location and significance as a hub of Maritime activities and as a voice for the sub-region on the IMO Council, where crucial decisions regarding international maritime shipping and trade are made.”
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He added that membership in the Council comes with such benefits as “technical assistance, manpower and institutional development, as well as political influence in the maritime sector of the global economy.”
The inter-ministerial committee for Nigeria’s election to the IMO Executive Council at the 34th Regular Session in 2025 comprises high-level officials led by the Permanent Secretary of the FMMBE, Olufemi Oloruntola.
The committee is tasked with identifying activities and actions that will promote Nigeria’s standing in the IMO community by articulating and showcasing the country’s maritime achievements.
Members of the committee include the Director of Maritime Security and Safety from the FMMBE and the Director-General of the NIMASA, who will serve as alternate chairpersons.
Other members are; the Directors of Legal Services and Maritime Services from the FMMBE, the Director of International Organisations Division at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC), the Managing Director of the Nigerian Inland Waterways Authority, and the Rector of the Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN), Oron.
Others include the former Director-General of NIMASA, Dr. Ade Dosunmu (stakeholder); the representative of the Office of the Honourable Minister of the FMMBE, Dr. Charles Akinola; and the Assistant Director, Maritime Pollution Control at the FMMBE, Mr. Paschal Ogah, who will serve as Secretary to the Committee.
Meanwhile, the Direvtor-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dayo Mobereola, has officially presented the six IMO instruments assented to by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Bola Tinubu, GCFR, to the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy.
He thanked the Minister for facilitating the signing of the IMO Conventions, noting that, ‘these six conventions have been pending within the Ministry and government for the last 6 to 8 years. With the efforts of the Honourable Minister, they have now been assented to by Mr. President and will be delivered and showcased with the IMO.’
Nigeria’s President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu has signed the instruments of accession for six Conventions of the International Maritime Organization (IMO).
This action paves the way for Nigeria to officially deposit these instruments of accession at the IMO headquarters, which serves as the repository for such conventions. This move is expected to enhance Nigeria’s maritime governance and align its practices with international standards, promoting maritime safety, security, and environmental protection.
It was gathered that the six instruments signed by President Tinubu are the Instrument of Accession of the Protocol of 2005 to the 1988 Protocol for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Fixed Platforms on the Continental Shelf, the Instrument of Accession of the International Convention of Standards of Training, Certification, and Watch-keeping for Fishing Vessel Personnel 1995; and the Instrument of Accession of the Protocol Relating to Intervention on the High Seas in cases of Pollution by Substances other than Oil, 1973 as Amended (INTERVENTION PROTOCOL).
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Others are the Instrument of Accession to the Protocol of 1996 to Amend the Convention on Limitation of Liability for Maritime Claims (LLMC) 1976; the Instrument of Accession to the Protocol to the 1974 Athens Convention Relating to the Carriage of Passengers and Their Luggage by Sea, 2002; and the Instrument of Accession to the Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships, 2009.
Presenting the instruments to the Hon Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Dr. Dayo Mobereola, the Director-General of NIMASA, expressed his gratitude to the Minister for facilitating the signing of the IMO conventions by the President after several years of being pending in the Ministry.
In his words, “These six instruments have been lying within the Ministry for the last 6 to 8 years, and thanks to the efforts of the Honorable Minister, they have now been assented to by the President. This is a landmark achievement for Nigeria, as the IMO will soon update our records to recognize these instruments.
On his part, the Honorable Minister reassured stakeholders of the President’s commitment to developing the Nigerian maritime industry in line with global best practices.
By signing these instruments of accession, the President has reaffirmed this administration’s determination to take its rightful position among the comity of maritime nations. This development will undoubtedly further reassure member states and stakeholders of Nigeria’s resolve and determination to be a leading member of the decision-making body of the IMO.
The deposit of these six instruments of ratification will be carried out by the supervising Ministry, and NIMASA.
Following the recovery of the Flight Data Recorder FDR and Cockpit Voice Recorder CVR otherwise called the black box, of the Helicopter that crashed into the Atlantic Ocean near Bonny Finima, Port Harcourt, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) will share details of her findings therefrom with the International Maritime Organization (IMO).
Biztellers reports that the black box was recovered last weekend through an inter-Agency collaboration involving NIMASA, the Nigerian Navy (NN), the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB), the NNPC Ltd, HydroDive in addition to other local and international search and rescue partners.
On the incident, the Director General of NIMASA, Dr Dayo Mobereola, commended all organs of government for the swift, and well-coordinated inter-agency partnership for the search and recovery operations.
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He revealed that NIMASA will share information on the incident with the IMO.
In his words, “In line with international maritime safety standards, NIMASA will report the findings about the helicopter crash into the Atlantic Ocean to the International Maritime Organization IMO via the Global Integrated Shipping Information System GISIS.
“By sharing the findings of the offshore Port Harcourt helicopter crash with the IMO, we at NIMASA demonstrate Nigeria’s commitment to transparency, accountability, and cooperation within the global maritime community”.
The GISIS is an online platform developed by the IMO to support the timely and accurate reporting of incidents, accidents, and other essential maritime data. This platform enables member states to share information crucial to improving safety protocols, updating best practices, and fostering international cooperation.
According to Mobereola, “NIMASA is committed to working closely with all relevant Agencies to determine the cause of the incident and to take all necessary steps to prevent future occurrences. As we mourn those lost, NIMASA reaffirms its dedication to the safety of Nigeria’s maritime domain and the continued strengthening of inter-agency collaboration.
On October 24th 2024, the Agency had received distress signals at the Regional Maritime Rescue Coordination Center (MRCC) and the C4i center of the Deep Blue project and shared same with the Nigerian Navy who immediately deployed the NIMASA’s specialized search and rescue assets to the crash site to locate the downed aircraft and conduct recovery efforts under challenging conditions.
The helicopter crashed in the Atlantic Ocean near Bonny Finima, at a distance of 1.4km from the starboard side of the Floating Producing Storage Offloading FPSO, NUIM ANTAN Producing Ltd owned by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC Limited).
The NIMASA working closely with the NN, the NSIB, the NNPC Ltd, HydroDive and other local and international search and rescue partners recovered the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) and Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) from the Sikorsky SK76 helicopter, registration 5N BQG.
It was gathered that with the recovery of the black box, over 80 percent of the helicopter wreck had been recovered. Other items recovered include rotor, three blades, engine, gearbox, windows, cockpit overhead panels, the Electronic Locator, Transmitter (ELT) and the tail. All the recovered wreck is on a dump barge.
Meanwhile, the DG NIMASA has extended the Agency’s heartfelt condolences to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation NNPC Limited, the families of the victims, and all those affected by the tragic helicopter crash.
He stated, “Our deepest sympathies are with the NNPC, the families, and loved ones of those affected by this unfortunate incident. Safety is a paramount commitment for us at NIMASA, and we remain resolute in our partnership with the Nigerian Navy and other stakeholders to ensure effective, rapid response in emergencies.”
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