The Managing Director of Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA), Ms. Hadiza Bala Usman has expressed happiness on the volume and standard of investments and business development at the Onne Free Zone by Intels Nigeria Limited.
Usman visited Onne Port Terminal on Thursday last week as part of her maiden tour of port facilities in the Eastern part of Nigeria.
Speaking about facilities at Onne Port complex, she said “I have come to Onne and I have looked at the facilities. The Port management and operations are very tidy. We have seen the deployment of infrastructure efficiently and effectively”.
On development works at the Phase 4B site of the terminal, she noted that “I have inspected Onne 4 B and we are thinking of what we need to do within the shortest possible time to ensure that whatever government has invested in the project will be put to commercial use.
“So while we lease out land to developers we are not able to ensure that the developer takes access of the premises and that is one of the important take away from this visit,’’ she said.
It will be recalled that the Onne port complex has been in existence for 30 years. It was concessioned to the Intels Nigeria Limited by the Federal Government in 2006 to handle oil and gas cargo.
In his response, the Chief Executive Officer of INTELS, Mr. Andrew Dawes said that the provision of high quality facilities and services in Onne was the result of huge investments running into billions of Dollars over the years.
“We (INTELS and NPA) are partners in the public private sector. Our policy is to invest in concessioned terminals in line with what was issued in concession agreement by NPA and the Ministry of Transport in line with Federal Government strategy on infrastructure development,” he said.
On Phase 4 B development, he explained that it is the only facility ready to fully receive a Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) alongside it
Dawes further said that sufficient water depth, turning basin and heavy lift capacity already exist in the jetty for loads up to 50 tons.
