Ports Authority spends over $1bn on dredging, Maintenance

The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has spent about $1billion in dredging and maintaining the Lagos, Rivers, Calabar, Onne and Warri ports channel and navigational aids.

Over $400million was spent by NPA through the Lagos Channel Management (LCM), a joint venture company.

The Lagos Ports Complex, which includes Apapa Port, Tin Can Island port, Roro Port and container terminals, is the gateway for cargo trafficking into the West African region, due to the traditional volume of trade within Nigeria and level of accessible trading routes throughout the hinterland. And that is why the water depths, planned for the entrance to the ports, are maintained at the statutory levels.

“The responsibilities of the NPA cover the maintenance of the channel depths and the navigational means that are required for the safe sailing of the ships through the entrance to the ports and within the ports,” a senior official of the agency who craved anonymity said.

NPA, it was gathered, spent about $100million in dredging channel channel depths and maintaining navigational aids between 2005 and 2007. Over half of the amount, The Nation was told, was spent in maintaining the two Lagos ports.

$22 million was spent in 2005; about $17million in 2006 while over $18 million was in 2007 on Lagos port.
Also, between 2008 and 2012, the agency spent over $150milllion. Sources added that over $20million was spent on the Lagos Port maintenance in 2008.

Investigation has also shown that between 2013 and this year, the maintenance of NPA is over $250million.
In 2013 alone, NPA spent over N22million, while the agency was said to have spent about N25million in 2019 alone to dredge and maintain the Lagos channel.

A senior official of the Ministry of Transportation, who does not want his name in print, said: “In 2006, the Federal Executive Council gave approval to the Ministry of Transport for the dredging of Calabar Port and NPA signed contract agreement for the dredging of the Calabar Port channel, valued at N8.9billion at that period. Therefore, if we calculate all the amount of money which NPA had spent on dredging and maintenance of the ports across the country, it is over N500billion.’’

Nation/Hauwa Abu