New Port Will Attract Modern Vessels To Nigeria
 

16th May 2008

The new $750 million port expected to commence operation in Lekki Free Trade Zone will attract modern container and tanker vessels to the country, project director in charge of the construction of the seaport, Mr. Peter Banham has said.

Banham who spoke to Vanguard recently noted that port that would carter for container ships capable of conveying 8,000 TEUs, tanker vessels with up to 160,000 tons, general cargo ships and other similar vessels.

According to him, “From the government's point of view, we desire to relief the congestion in Apapa and other existing ports. This made my company to come out with this master plan to build the port, a port that can cater for some of the largest containerships in the world up to 8,000 TEUs e.g. Tanker vessels up to 160,000 tons, general cargo ships and other similar vessels.”

He pointed out that the $750 million required for the completion of the project would probably be sourced both locally and internationally. On the benefit of the project to Nigeria state, Banham said it would reduce congestion because there is international highway linking the port that has the latest state of the acts technology equipment.

“We expect that the container gate for import/exports will be minutes, not hours, we expert that the customer will be treated fairly, honesty and in total transparency, resulting in a very fast customer clearance procedures.”

He said construction work on the new port project would commence later this year and is expected to be completed by early 2011.
In his words, “We are very confident that we can start some form of construction towards the end of November this year, 2008 from 2008 onward, there will be a massive in activities so that by January 2011 there about, we expect the port to be constructed sufficiently when we can bring up the first shipment then the port will continue to develop during the cause of 2011, extra cranes will arrive, extra equipment will arrive and I shall say that by summer 2011 the port would be fully equipped, with all its equipment such as 8 container cranes, 30-35 RTCs.”

The Lekki Port Enterprises boss further disclosed that the port would cover a land space of about 500 hectares. “As a port, it means that some of it could be in the sea, you have the break water, you have land from sea protection, you have weave protection, these items go out into the sea, so part of the 500 hectares you have on the land, we have a very similar size that goes out into the sea to protect the harbour,” he concluded.

Source: Vanguard

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