Statistics have shown that the top 20 seaports in the world handled total global seaborne trade volumes of 9.3 billion metric tonnes of goods in 2017, which is an increase on the 8.9 billion metric tonnes of goods handled in 2016, according to industry forecast by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA).
Sadly, no port in Africa, including the likes of Durban in South Africa; Apapa in Nigeria; Mombasa in Kenya, and Dar Es Salaam in Tanzania was listed among the 20 world’s leading seaports.This can be attributed to prevalent port inefficiency in the region as well as failure to industralise in order to compete favourably among exporting nations of the world.
According to the forecast, after two years of weak performance, global port activity and cargo handling recorded it first expansion in 2017.
Also, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) estimated that 752.2 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) were moved at container ports worldwide in 2017. This figure mirrors the total volume of containers handled in a year through the port with the highest handling in the world recorded in Shanghai, China.
Meanwhile, the NIMASA forecast revealed that the global 20 top owners of container-carrying fleet in 2018 recorded a total throughput volume of 20,231,559 TEUs, representing 97.25 of world container market share.
Top on the table is Germany, which leads with 4,207,388 TEUs, representing 20.22 percent of the global container market share; Denmark followed with 2,220,911 TEUs, controlling 10.68 percent global container market share; China emerged third with 2,150,700 TEUs, showing 10.34 percent global container market share; Greece stood at fourth position with 1,891,234 TEUs of containers, which represents 9.09 percent market share, and Hong Kong took the fifth with 1,583,036 TEUs, representing 7.61 percent market share.
With a total of 1,455,580 TEUs of containers, Japan emerged the sixth largest container port, controlling 7 percent market share; Switzerland stood at seventh position with 1,260,807 TEUs, which represents 6.06 percent market share; France, which controls 1,038,824 TEUs took the eighth position and handles 4.99 percent of the market share; Taiwan, which took the ninth position handled 985,495 TEUs and controls 4.74 percent market share, while the UK which handled 870,632 TEUs, emerged the tenth largest container carrier and controls 4.18 percent of the market.
Singapore stood at 11th position with a total volume of 658,654 TEUs and 3.17 percent market share; Korea, which handled 532,670 TEUs, was named the 12th largest container carrier with 2.56 percent market share; Cyprus followed with 253,392 TEUs throughput volume and 1.22 percent market share; Norway stood at the 14th position with total throughput of 208,262 TEUs and 1 percent market share while United States took the 15th position with a total of 207,894 TEUs equivalent to 1 percent market share.
Others include Indonesia which handled 172,711 TEUs of container volume and controls 0.83 percent of the market; Israel followed with a total of 170,434 TEUs and 0.82 percent market share; Turkey, which recorded a total of 159,855 TEUs, controlled 0.77 percent of the market; UAE took the 19th position with 110,265 TEUs container volume with 0.53 percent of the market while the 20th largest container port was Netherlands with a total of 92,815 TEUs and market size of 0.45 percent in 2018.
The NIMASA forecast further stated that the outlook for global port-handling activity remains positive overall, supported by projected economic growth and port infrastructure development plans.
“However, downside risks weighing on global demand and related uncertainty continue to diminish global port activity. Additionally, global ports and terminals need to track and measure their performance in order to allow for better strategic planning and decision making as well as reporting on investments and future financing.
“Ports remain the fundamental link in the supply chains of countries as well as integrators of the global economy, hence the importance of monitoring and measuring operational, financial, economic, environmental and social performance,” the forecast stated.
Stating that the maritime industry remains a very vital aspect of the Nigerian economy, the forecast said that though the Nigerian economy remains an oil story (an oil producing and exporting nation), Nigerians are heavily dependent on foreign goods which are mostly imported through the seaports.
“Hence, the maritime sector holds the key to the country’s growth and development. The maritime value chain plays a crucial role in the Nigerian economy, such that around 80 percent of Nigerian trade is transported by sea and via ports. In today’s highly interdependent world economy, business and societies depend on the efficient clearance of vessels and goods in ports worldwide to function, develop and prosper. Therefore, the strategic importance of the Nigerian Maritime sector to the stability and growth of the economy cannot be overemphasised,” the forecast suggested.
AMAKA ANAGOR-EWUZIE
