Toritseju Vincent
Lagos — In a bid to enhance operational efficiency at the Lekki Deep Seaport, the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, has launched two newly acquired state-of-the-art marine tugboats.
Speaking at the ceremony, Dr. Magdelene Ajani, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Transportation said that the crafts Azimuth Stern Drive, ASD, neoteric 80 Tons Bollard Pull Tugboats, to boost port operational efficiency were the first to be acquired by any port in Africa.
Ajani also said that the fact that the acquisition of these equipment, amongst many others that are in the works, signposts Nigeria’s seriousness to optimize the opportunities inherent in the African Continental Free Trade Area, AfCFTA, Agreement to which Nigeria is a signatory.
He said, ”Maximizing the comparative advantages that our maritime assets as a littoral nation confers rests heavily on how much we are able to deepen our efficiencies through the deployment of relevant technology and equipment.
“I particularly want to commend the NPA Management team for delivering on this project in good time to support the optimization of the Lekki Deep Seaport. This is the kind of efficiency that the Ministry supports its agencies to entrench in the polity and I am happy that we are making progress.
“Let me reiterate the support of the Federal Ministry of Transportation for the audacious efforts of the NPA and all our agencies and parastatals as we encourage inter-agency collaborations towards the attainment of the overarching goal of making Nigeria a global reference point of excellence in trade facilitation.”
Similarly, the Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, Mr. Mohammed Bello-Koko said that the move was a demonstration of this administration’s resolve to position the Nigerian Ports Authority to respond squarely to the contemporary demands of trade facilitation.
Bello-Koko also said that acquisition of the watercrafts was also meant to ensure that Nigeria attains hub status by more efficiently servicing domestic cargo needs, winning back transit cargo hitherto lost to other maritime neighbours and positioning to cater to the maritime requirements.
He said: “Our determination to continuously enhance our operational efficiencies accounts for the purchase of these new 80 Ton Bollard Pull Tugboats christened M.T MAIKOKO and M.T DA-OPUKURO to complement our existing fleet of tugs and recently commissioned Security Patrol Boats (SPBs) and Pilot Cutters deployed to enhance channel security across all our locations.
“In addition to positively affecting the turnaround time of large vessels, their deployment will enable stakeholders leverage the concomitant benefits of economies of scale, especially cost savings.
“Permit me to seize this opportunity to reiterate that our drive towards deploying Lekki Deep Seaport as launch pad for transshipment remains unwavering and this event today is confirmation of our doggedness on this noble cause.”
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