NPA Commissions Three Newly Acquired tugboats and vessels to support port security patrol and surveillance

NPA Commissions Three Newly Acquired tugboats and vessels to support port security patrol and surveillance

By prince Benson Davies

Three newly acquired 80-ton bollard-pull tugboats deployed to enhance the berthing of vessels at the Dangote Refinery and Lekki Deep Seaport have been commissioned by the Nigeria Ports Authority, christened MT IRAGBUIJI, MT DAURA, and MT BAMA.

Speaking to newsmen at the commissioning in Lagos on Thursday, Adegboyega Oyetola, minister of Marine and Blue Economy, said the investment in acquiring the marine craft is a step towards enhancing port efficiency and strengthening Nigeria’s position as a leading maritime nation in the region.

Speaking further, he said that the present administration recognises the critical role that efficient port operations play in accelerating economic growth and will do all that is required to update the existing facilities to deliver on it
According to the Minister, the present administration is committed to investing in developing the nation:s Maritime assets

“By acquiring these modern marine crafts, we are reaffirming our commitment to maximise the opportunities presented by the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Agreement. We are determined to optimise our competitive edge as a coastal nation and deepen our efficiencies by deploying cutting-edge technology and equipment,” Oyetola said.

Earlier, Mohammed Bello-Koko, managing director of the Nigerian Ports Authority, said the acquisition would enable the Ports Authority to attain regional hub status by efficiently servicing domestic cargo needs, winning back transit cargo hitherto lost to maritime neighbors, and positioning to cater to the maritime requirements of landlocked neighbours.

The MD said the NPA has deployed a three-pronged strategy driven by people: technology, infrastructure, and equipment, such as state-of-the-art vessels that were commissioned.

According to him, the acquisition of the marine craft is part of the fulfillment of NPA’s deliverables under the Presidential/Ministerial Performance Bond to optimise Nigeria’s marine and blue economy by providing relevant marine technology and equipment.

Pointing out that the marine crafts would be deployed to serve operations at the Lekki corridor, Bello-Koko said the corridor has become a hub for actualizing Nigeria’s quest for self-sufficiency in energy, agricultural growth and trade transshipment capacity with the hosting of a 650,000 barrels-per-day Dangote Refinery, Africa’s largest granulated urea fertilizer complex and Nigeria’s first fully automated Deep Seaport, which can berth Super Post Panamax-sized ships.

“Data from Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals shows that 120 tanker vessels have been handled in the six months from January – June 2024, with a projection for 415 between July and December, while Dangote Fertilizers have handled 17 fertilizer vessels with a projection for 41 in the corresponding period.

“We are by these commissioning and ancillary deployments putting mechanisms in place to cater for continuous increase going forward,” the NPA boss assured.

NPA Boss thanked the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy for the continuous support that enabled the Ports Authority to enhance its operational efficiencies.

Also speaking, Adewale Adeniyi, comptroller general of the Nigeria Customs Service, said Customs has found it comfortable to work with the NPA to develop the export sector, automate Customs processes, decongest the port, and ensure port efficiency.

According to him, the collaboration between Customs and NPA has started yielding good fruits, as the NPA and Customs were recently ranked highly by the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) in line with the vision of the present administration to reposition the Nigerian maritime sector.