Vincent Toritseju
27 December 2017, Sweetcrude, Calabar — THE Calabar port axis of the Nigerian Ports Authority has commenced exportation of bulk cement to Port of Tema in Ghana on a fortnightly basis.
Disclosing this at the long service award of the NPA in Lagos, Calabar Port Manager, Mrs. Olufunmilayo Olotu, said that the trade initiative with Messrs Atlantic Bulk Carrier Management Limited of Greece paid-off, with four vessels calling back-to-back at Calabar Port between October and November 2017.
Olotu said that the draft of the channel had been a major concern over the years, making the port unattractive to most shippers despite its strategic location and opening to the North-Eastern and South-Eastern flanks of Nigeria.
Olotu who was one of the agency’s awardees of Leadership Merit Award of Excellence explained that her persuasive marketing skills were brought to bear as flat-bottom vessels of 200 metre were attracted to the port in spite of draft limitations.
She noted that the Regional Passenger Boat operations with Cameroon and Gabon among others have experienced a boost in the last couple of months.
She commended efforts of the management of NPA for addressing the challenges faced by the terminal operators in the eastern ports.