The Manager of the Calabar Sea Port has revealed that the Port which is located on the shores of the Gulf of Guinea, has not received any container vessel in the last 25 years.
Festus Olumati, the Port Manager made this shocking revelation during a visit of the House of Representatives Committee on Ports and Harbors on Friday in Calabar.
In a report made by the News Agency of Nigeria, Olumati blamed the situation on the port’s shallow channel, which has not been dredged to accommodate larger vessels.
In his words:
“Bigger vessels can’t come in because of this. The situation is affecting the economy of the zone. If more vessels come into the port, the economy will receive a boost, and more employment will be created.”
Olumati also highlighted the deplorable state of the Calabar – Uyo road which he said is another major factor hindering the use of the Port
“The access road into Calabar is a complete nightmare for cargo owners. A cargo-bearing truck from Calabar to Akwa Ibom now takes between four and five hours”, he is reported to have said.
While urging the Federal to urgently intervene in the situation, Olumati said the Port, through active stakeholder engagement, has been able to increase its monthly vessel reception from four to six to 20 to 21 vessels.
The Leader of the House Committee, Mr. Nnaji Nnolim, while acknowledging the problems, assured that the Federal Government would intervene in the rehabilitation of Calabar Port and dredging its channels. “We shall ensure that Calabar Port benefits from this program. This port is critical, not only to Nigeria but to West Africa as a whole. It will create a lot of jobs if it is maximally operational, and we are looking towards ensuring that its draft is dredged to about 9.5 meters,”
Recall that the Lagos Port, which has had almost a virtual monopoly on container vessels, has been a logistical and operational nightmare to importers due to high costs, excess cargo and an almost impossible thoroughfare to Apapa. The situation has made the costs of importation to rise considerably, contributing to the rise in the prices of imported goods in the country.
