Stakeholders in the maritime industry have continued to pour encomium on the NPA for the authority’s effort at making other ports across the country viable.
For instance, former president of ANLCA, Mr Olayiwola Shittu commended the NPA for repositioning the port for greater efficiency.
Shittu urged other stakeholders to collaborate with the NPA in its efforts to make the port a hub of maritime activities.
Another stakeholder, Mr. Felix Abraham, said the deployment of the equipment has assisted the port in taking its rightful position as hub for the East and Central Africa sub-regions in oil and gas and has an advantage of accessibility and proximity to the Eastern commercial centres like Onitsha, Nnewi and Aba, among others.
According to him: “Activities such as pipe coating, waste treatment and boat building are provided by companies located in Onne. The port is highly industrialised with modern facilities and equipment that can stand the test of time anywhere in the world.
“It has one of the biggest habour mobile cranes in Africa, (Liebherr 600) with a lifting capacity of 208 metric tonnes. Also, 220 Gmk 5220 grove twin cranes that have capacity of lifting single heavy duty cargo of 300 tonnes.”
On his part, the Olu of Warri, Ogiame Ikewoli 11 called on stakeholders in the Delta Ports to give maximum and unflinching support to NPA management so that the transformation the authority has brought to the region could be sustained.
The paramount ruler pointed out that Calabar Port, which also has the same challenge of shallow draught, has been improved upon by the NPA with the use of Flat Bottom Vessels (FBV) to attract more cargoes to the port in Warri.
