TheCable

The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) says it will begin the movement of containers from Lagos ports to Onitsha River Port.

The agency, in a statement released on Thursday by Jibril Darda’u, its general manager of corporate affairs, said the move is an attempt to decongest Lagos ports and make Onitsha River Port functional.

Darda’u quoted George Muoghalu, managing director of NIWA, as saying the agency is targeting about 1,000 containers to be hauled per trip from Lagos ports to Onitsha River Port within the maximum duration of 4 days.

Moghalu added that NIWA is engaging the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) and other stakeholders to facilitate the commencement of the cargo haulage.

NIWA said it would engage the services of Akewa Colmar Terminal Limited (ACTL), to effectively move containers using barges via Burutu Port in Delta state. 

“The idea of hauling containers via Burutu Ports to Onitsha River Port is to deliberately avoid the two small bridges of Gbarekolo and Bumandi,” the statement added. 

“Because the two bridges are too tiny and shallow for sea moving badges or vessels to ply through, that is why the company (ACTL) is considering the route from Lagos ports to Burutu Port then to Onitsha River Port as final destination.”

On his part, Kenneth Donye, chairman of ACTL, expressed the readiness of his company to partner with NIWA in carrying out this “noble and historic transshipment”.

To solve the Apapa gridlock problem, the NPA recently commenced an electronic call-up system to control entry and exit of trucks at Lagos ports.