Deep seaports drive nautical access for maritime connectivity of ports—Ojadi
Expert in shipping and a professor at Lagos Business School and Maritime expert, Frank Ojadi has called for serious attention to the ongoing development of deep seaports in parts of the maritime states in Nigeria.
Speaking on ‘The imperatives of deep seaports in Nigeria; A case study of Lekki deep seaport’, at training organized for Maritime media personnel in Lagos by Ships & Ports Publications, Ojadi averred that “Over the last decades, ships have rapidly become bigger and deeper: for example the draft of the largest container ships at this moment is approximately 14.5 meters, which is deeper than what most ports can accommodate. Port depth thus becomes a competitive advantage for attracting the largest ships and a challenge for many ports that are estuary ports and that have no direct deep sea access”.
However, he said to avoid traffic hell in locations like Lekki where the new deep seaport is rising, “the federal and state governments should begin to think of good road and rail network as well as inland navigation to Lekki considering the huge traffic that would be created by the deep seaport and Dangote refinery among other major projects cited in that area”.
He also charged the Senate Committee on Ports Harbours and Waterways and the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) to fine-tune all logistic issues ahead of the resumption of operations at all new deep seaports including the one coming up in Lekki.
According to him, deep seaports would create opportunities for transshipment operations, generates more employment, promote local shipping business and boost trade in the country.
He said Panamax vessels make a direct port and discharge, and bulks of their cargoes are delivered at a particular port while importers will have to move them to other destination through feeder vessels, thereby emphasizing the need for transshipment.
