Christian Holm, managing director of Hull Blyth Nigeria Limited, has given insights into why his company recently facilitated the call of the first containership to Calabar Port in 15 years.
Addressing members of House of Representatives ad-hoc committee investigating why Warri, Port Harcourt, Calabar and Onne Ports are not being put to maximal use, Holm said Hull Blyth, which is the shipping agent to Marguisa Lines, owners of the containership called ‘MN Boreas’, facilitated the visit of the ship in order to open up business activities in the eastern ports.
He said the vessel made its first call to the port on September 22, 2019.
“We are excited about the willingness of Marguisa Lines to invest in the port and in the new service, and all the new opportunities that opens up for trade and development in Calabar and beyond. With this, the port is connected with a global container liner service,” he said.
Holm, however, identified underdeveloped infrastructure, shallow water drafts, poor road infrastructure and insecurity as factors hindering large vessels from calling ports outside Lagos.
According to him, ports outside Lagos have not been upgraded in accordance with modern seaborne trade.
“This relates to containerised trade, where the requirements for sizeable port container yards and related handling equipment are not met,” he said.
He further said that water depth in rivers to the ports as well as alongside the quays has shallow drafts. “The shallow drafts prevent access of average sized vessels to the ports, and shipping companies must deploy smaller tonnage which cannot provide economic transportation to most shippers.
“Road infrastructure to connect the ports with the importers and exporters’ places of business lack maintenance. Delivery and distribution of goods thus become uneconomic or even impossible.”
Holm further observed that “Security on waterways and port access roads is critically compromised. Vessels require expensive armed protection to navigate the rivers, and road hauliers can only move during limited day time hours with additional high logistic costs.”
According to him, the investment by Marguisa Lines and the willingness of its customers to use the Calabar Port will be jeopardised “unless the above key issues are urgently addressed by the government.”
Marguisa Lines is headquartered in Madrid and since 1990, has specialised in liner transportation between the Mediterranean and West Africa.
Its main service operates between the ports of Algeciras in Spain and Malabo in Equatorial Guinea, and connects a large network of global and regional ports.
“The port of Malabo will also serve as hub port for the feeder vessel calling at Calabar on regular basis,” Holm said.
