The Federal Government on Monday said it will spend a total sum of $1.1 billion on the rehabilitation of six ports across Nigeria.
The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) disclosed this in a statement on X and said it will reduce the high turnaround times of vessels and improve ports efficiency.
“To improve the efficiency of our existing ports, the Federal Government, through @nigerianports will be investing $1.1 billion to fully rehabilitate decaying port infrastructure at TinCan, Apapa, Rivers, Delta, Calabar and Onne ports,” the statement read.
NPA in the statement said some of these ports were built a century ago and have not been rebuilt since then.
“Due to the decaying quay walls, the Terminal Operators are unable to deploy modern cargo handling equipment such as ship-to-shore cranes.”
According to the agency, this has often resulted in high turn around times of vessels.
The rehabilitation will include Tin-Can Island Port Complex (TCIPC) Reconstruction of 2, 563m Quay Wall & Pavement including other works and Lagos Port Complex (Apapa Quays) Reconstruction of 2,020m Quay wall to replace the old gravity wall (Berths 4-14).
Others are Warri, Delta State Rehabilitation of collapsed 8.6 km Escravos Breakwaters, FLT 2, Onne Port Reconstruction of 200m Quay Wall and Warri Old Port (Terminal C) Reconstruction of 80m sheet pile wall structure.
Also included are Warri Old Port (Terminal A) Reconstruction of 280m quay structure, Calabar Dockyard Rehabilitation of the Calabar Dockyard, Mciver Jetty, Calabar Port Jetty reconstruction and Millero Jetty, Calabar Port Jetty Reconstruction.
According to NPA, when this is completed, the existing ports will be operational at full capacity and with improved efficiency.
It added that this will, thereby reduce the TAT of vessels and cargo dwell time.