Nimasa confident floating dock will combat Lagos port congestion and raise N12bn in revenue

NIGERIAN Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (Nimasa) officials have revealed that they are confident of generating about N12bn ($30.86m) annually from the use of the new floating dock the agency has recently acquired.

With a coastline stretching for 853km, Nigeria has a lot of maritime potential but the country is struggling with port capacity. Nigeria has the Apapa and Tin Can Island ports in Lagos, the Onne and Port-Harcourt ports in Rivers State, the Warri port in Delta State and the Calabar port in Cross River State but only the Lagos ports are operating anywhere near full capacity.

At the moment, the Apapa and Tin Can ports account for 70% of all imports that come into Nigeria, making Lagos State congested and polluted. In a bid to address the problem, Nimasa acquired a floating dock at a cost of N50bn ($128.6m) in 2018 as part of its efforts to reposition the nation’s maritime industry to international standard and boost revenue.

Nimasa director-general Dr Bashir Jamoh said the dock would generate N1bn ($2.57m) monthly by the time it starts operation. He assured Nigerians that the floating dock remains a viable project that will generate a lot of jobs and revenue for the country.

According to Dr Jamoh, Nimasa is partnering with the Nigerian Ports Authority to get a permanent place for the platform, which will enable several vessels to dock in the country. He added that Nimasa has also acquired some vessels and other sophisticated equipment that would be a game changer in the fight against piracy and other maritime crimes on Nigerian waters.