Global shipping line, Maersk resumed services from China to Onne Port (by ship) this year, and this week, it has resumed operations at the Onitsha Inland Port.
This was disclosed by a media aide to the President, Tolu Ogunlesi on Tuesday evening via his Twitter handle, tweeting, “Let me summarize it. Maersk is now (starting 2020) sending container ships direct from China to the Onne Port, without the need to first call at Lagos. Now, when the ship berths in Onne, it will be offloaded and the containers going to Onitsha Port will be barged down.”
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Let me summarize it. Maersk is now (starting 2020) sending container ships direct from China to the Onne Port, without the need to first call at Lagos.
Now, when the ship berths in Onne, it will be offloaded and the containers going to Onitsha Port will be barged down.
— Tolu Ogunlesi, MON (@toluogunlesi) October 6, 2020
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Nairametrics reported in August that the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), resumed transportation of containers through barges from Lagos to Onitsha.
A witness at the Onitsha Inland Port yesterday said the port operations resumed fully this week. “We took a walk at the Onitsha pilot port after it was commissioned today. The port is at its full function. Such a pleasant sight! Congrats to the importers,” he said.
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https://twitter.com/Champele/status/1313581155288047617
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Under the Maersk shipping line Schedule, the containers leave China through Shangai, arrive Onne Port in just over a month, and the cargo leaves Onne Port and arrive at Clarion Terminal, Onitsha the next day.
What this means:
Transportation of containers from Lagos to the East has been a very expensive process for Nigerian businesses based in the east due to poor transport infrastructure starting from the Apapa congestion to extortion from security operatives. This would reduce the costs for the South East-based businessmen as they would only have to pay mainly shipping costs from China.