Nigeria ports increase 2010 throughput 12pc, with container volume rising 8.8pc

 THE Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has posted a 12 per cent year-on-year overall increase in cargo in 2010 to 74,910,284 tonnes as well as a 15.3 per cent increase in revenue to US$592.2 million, reported the Lagos Daily Champion.


Laden container throughput increased 8.8 per cent to 668,697 TEU in 2010 year on year while empties were up 19.4 per cent to 459,474 TEU. Automotive was up 16.3 per cent to 187,635 units. General cargo increased 10.4 per cent to 9,047,030 tonnes.


"Our dredging and wreck removal projects are moving and have started yielding results," said PA spokesman Michael Ajaiy.


The average turn around for all the ports was 5.9 days compared with 6.7 days in 2009 while the average waiting time of vessels in all ports was 27.4 hours in 2010 compared with 50.4 hours in 2009.


Seventy-nine per cent for ocean vessels called at Nigerian ports totalling 4,962 with gross tonnage rising 20.1 per cent to 108,621,872 tonnes. Coastal vessels calls rose 26.1 per cent to 21,950 while coastal tonnage increased 18.6 per cent to 6,818,827 tonnes.
(Source:http://www.schednet.com)