By Bon Peters
A maritime stakeholder and chieftain of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) in Rivers State, Mrs Okere Celestina Chinyere, has praised the Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Mr Abubakar Dantsoho, for creating an enabling environment that made it possible for the recent berthing of large container vessels at the Onne Port.
On Monday, August 5, 2024, KOTA CEMPAKA became the largest container ship ever to carry out full operations at Nigeria’s Eastern ports.
The ship, which berthed at the Onne Multipurpose Terminal (OMT), made its second port call to Onne precisely. The facility, owned by Pacific International Lines (PIL), is 300 metres long and has the capacity to carry 6,600 TEUs of containers.
The ship made its maiden visit to the Onne Port on April 27, 2024, when it loaded and discharged over 2,000 containers full of Nigerian imports and exports.
The vessel was received on its historic second voyage by the officials of the NPA and OMT.
Speaking on the development, Mrs Okere lauded the management and staff of the NPA, insisting that those in the Eastern corridor of the maritime industry are happy with the way Mr Datsoho is opening up business channels outside the Lagos area, adding that such would help bolster the maritime sub-sector of Nigerian economy, especially in the Eastern Hartlands.
Mrs Okere, who doubles as the Chairman of Celefrank Nigeria Limited, a licensed customs agent and Secretary of the Oil and Gas Free Zone chapter of ANLCA as well as the Zonal Secretary of the Eastern Zone of ANLCA, said with such feat, the youth unemployment and restiveness would reduce, even as the government revenue profile would be on the increase while the host communities would benefit through the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) of OMT and NPA.
She said the appointment of Mr Datsoho was a round peg in a round hole, describing him as a “through breed technocrat,” with vast knowledge of the agency and the sector.
“With his wealth of experience and expertise, NPA will witness growth in not only revenue generation and infrastructural development but also in human capital development including collaboration among the stakeholders,” she said.
OMT handles containerized, oil and gas, and other cargo types. It is the first terminal of call at the Onne Port Complex, located in Onne’s Oil and Gas Free Zone, and is an efficient gateway to Africa’s largest oil production region and Nigeria’s major hinterland markets.