The Federal Government has commissioned two newly acquired 80 tons bollard pull tugboats deployed to enhance the berthing of vessels at the Lekki Deep Seaport and Dangote Refinery in Lagos.
The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola who commissioned the vessels, Christened MT Iragbiji and MT Bama noted that they were acquired by the Nigrian Ports Authority (NPA) to support port security, patrol, surveillance, efficient pilotage and towage services that would help the growing cargo evacuation needs of the Lekki maritime corridor.
Oyetola added that the investment of the marine craft was a step towards enhancing port efficiency and strengthening Nigeria’s position as a leading maritime nation in the region.
According to him, the present administration was committed to investing in developing the nation’s maritime assets.
He said: “We recognise the critical role that efficient port operations play in accelerating economic growth and will do all that is required to update the existing facilities to deliver on this.
“By acquiring these modern marine crafts, we are reaffirming our commitment to maximise the opportunities presented by the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Agreement. We are determined to optimise our competitive edge as a littoral nation and deepen our efficiencies through the deployment of cutting-edge technology and equipment.”
Also, the Managing Director of NPA, Mohammed Bello-Koko said that the acquisition would enable the authority to attain a regional hub status by efficiently servicing domestic cargo needs, winning back transit cargo hitherto lost to maritime neighbours and positioning to cater to the maritime requirements of landlocked neighbours.
Bello-Koko added that NPA had deployed a three-pronged strategy driven by people; technology, infrastructure, and equipment such as the state-of-the-art vessels are were commissioned.
According to him, the acquisition of the marine craft is part of the fulfillment of NPA’s deliverables under the Presidential/Ministerial Performance Bond to optimise Nigeria’s marine and blue economy by providing relevant marine technology and equipment.