As the new management of Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) celebrates the success of seaports concessioning, a 232 meters large vessel with a draught of 11 meters and laden with 1400 containers Tuesday sailed into the Lagos port.

It is the first time in the history of Nigerian ports that a vessel of such draught is sailing into the country without first discharging some of its cargoes in other West African countries to reduce draught, or better still transfer the cargoes into smaller vessels which can navigate safely in the Nigeria channels without running aground.

Daily Champion notes that the vessel, a Merchant Container Vessel (MV) Izimir, a Maersk Line vessel came straight from Asia to Nigeria without stopping over any where. 80 percent if its cargoes, while the remaining 20 percent is meant for other West and Central African countries.

Reacting to the development, visibly elated image maker of Nigerian Ports Authority, a general manager in the organization, Chief Michael Ajayi said "the successful berthing of this vessel in our port is a loud statement to the global shipping community that we have achieved the necessary draught to berth large vessels and there will be no need to first take such vessels to other countries to reduce draught before coming to Nigeria." He also said that the coming of the vessel into the Nigerian ports shows that the wreck removal programme of the NPA is on course and is yielding result.

He disclosed that the organization has already achieved 11.5 meters draught, saying NPA would soon achieve 12 meters draught for channels, "and the programme of dredging and wreck removal will remain a continuous process because this new NPA with a brand new management team under the leadership of Engr. Omar Sulieman is determined to transform Nigeria to be the center of shipping (hub port) in the West and Central Africa," he said. He disclosed that another large of 250 meters length may be berthing at the Lagos port sometime in April.

Ajayi further said as the coming of the vessel marked the beginning of the transformation of Nigerian ports to a hub port, it also marked the beginning of a new dawn for Nigerian shippers, as the multiplier effect of the coming of the large vessels directly to Nigeria without first stopping anywhere, would result in reduction of the cost of shipping a container to Nigeria. He explained that as Nigeria achieves the appropriate draught for larger vessels and makes its waters safe for navigation, demand will be made for the removal of the surcharges on Nigerian bound cargoes. "For every stop before vessels final destination is an added cost to the shipper, when we have achieved a hub port we will ask that such charges to be removed," he stated.

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