Calabar Port stayed 25 years without receiving container vessels - Port Manager

The Manager of Calabar Ports, Olumati Festus, has disclosed that the port has not received a single container vessel in the past 25 years.

This startling admission was made during an investigative visit by the House of Representatives Adhoc Committee on Ports and Harbours on Friday in Calabar, the News Agency of Nigeria stated in a report as seen by Nairametrics.

Festus attributed the situation to the port’s shallow channel, which has not been dredged to accommodate larger vessels. “Bigger vessels can’t come in because of this. The situation is affecting the economy of the zone. If more vessels come into the port, the economy will receive a boost, and more employment will be created,” he emphasized.
In addition to the channel’s limitations, Festus highlighted the deplorable state of the access road into Calabar as another significant challenge. “The access road into Calabar is a complete nightmare for cargo owners. A cargo-bearing truck from Calabar to Akwa Ibom now takes between four and five hours,” he lamented.

To mitigate these challenges, Festus urged the Federal Government to intervene urgently. Despite these obstacles, he noted that the port has managed to increase its monthly vessel reception from four to six to 20 to 21 vessels through proactive stakeholder engagement.

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Responding to Festus’ concerns, Mr. Nnaji Nnolim, Leader of the delegation, assured that the Federal Government would prioritize the rehabilitation of Calabar Port and dredging its channels. “We shall ensure that Calabar Port benefits from this program. This port is critical, not only to Nigeria but to West Africa as a whole. It will create a lot of jobs if it is maximally operational, and we are looking towards ensuring that its draft is dredged to about 9.5 meters,” he pledged.

Mr. Peter Odey, Deputy Governor of Cross River, echoed the importance of the Calabar Port as an evacuation corridor to the Gulf of Guinea. He expressed gratitude to the Federal Government for including the cost of dredging the port channel in the 2024 budget.