Nigeria: Nature of Port Prevents Dredging, NPA Says

According to the Vanguard, the Nigerian Ports Authority has attributed its inability to dredge the channel leading to the ports in Lagos further than 13.5 meters to the nature of the port.

„The quays of the Lagos ports are about 14 meters and should the channel be dredged to or above 14 meters, they would collapse,“ said General Managing in charge of Public Affairs of the NPA, Chief Michael Ajayi.

The NPA image maker noted that with the 13.5 meters level, specialized vessels that are bigger have started calling at the ports, especially WafMax vessels belonging to Maersk Line.

WafMax vessels were the first container ships designed specifically for the ports situated in the West African sub-region, where the water depths are relatively shallow, and also the largest in the trade.

They are replacing ships of around 2,500 TEU previously on Maersk Line’s FEWA2 loop between Asia and West Africa.

Ajayi pointed that the shallow nature of the Lagos ports makes the Authority’s drive for the construction of deep seaports in Lekki and Badagry very necessary. He noted that with the deep sea ports, the problem of shallow nature does not arise.

[mappress]

Dredging Today Staff, May 31, 2012;