FG to revive eastern ports, award contract for dredging of Escravos

The federal government has expressed President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration’s determination to revive the port in Delta State following the award of contract for remedial dredging of Escravos channel.

The dredging of the channel will help to expand the channel and enable bigger vessels to visit the port in Delta State.

Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Mr. Mohammed Bello-Koko while Disclosing this in Warri on Tuesday, said, the dredging which has started and is about halfway done, will enable port in Delta State to have a better draft, receive bigger vessels and record less incidences of vessels running aground when completed.

Koko said “We all know that the breakwaters collapsed about 10 years ago, and there has been high siltation resulting in reduction of the draft from 7 meters to 3 meters in some places,” Bello-Koko said.

According to him, the NPA has also started the mapping and charting of the Escravos channel starting from the fairway buoy down to Koko Port, which has not been done for over a decade or more.

“The essence is to enable us to be able to know the draft along the way and also ensure that the navigational aids are properly placed. This is because there are some decisions that can only be taken after knowing that the channel has been properly mapped and surveyed,” he said.

Bello-Koko further said the efforts put together means that the NPA is beginning to pay attention to the ports outside Lagos.

“We have a special interest in ensuring that Warri and other ports are more active. This is why we have been holding stakeholders meetings and we are going to Port Harcourt for another one. This enables us to engage with the importers and exporters for them to know that these ports are available for use. We will deploy more marine equipment and ensure that the signals are also working to ensure safe navigation of vessels, ” he added.