Ship Traffic Swells at Lagos Ports
Petroleum products top cargo list with 21 tanker vessels
By Francis Ugwoke
The Lagos ports have recorded an encouraging traffic of vessels in the past two weeks despite speculations that there may be decline in traffic following the take-off of International Ship and Port Facility (ISPS) Code yesterday.
According to the shipping position in the four Lagos ports, 85 vessels have been billed to call at the ports between this week and next week.
A breakdown of the figure showed that 35 vessels are from Apapa, 24 for Tin Can, Container Terminal - 16 and 10 for Roll-on-Roll-Off (RORO) port.
The reports showed that 21 tanker vessles are expected with various petroleum products, 13 in Apapa and eight in Tin Can port.
In Apapa port, the vessels include MTs Hastings, Axios, Harting, Torrent, JO Mero, W.V. Hamburg, Takis and Widzene.
Others include MTs Ajas, More Blessings, Nicholas M and Torrent.
In Tin Can port, the vessels were MT Gulf Wind, Globe Sky, Sichem Labrador, Tafira, Beffen, Enios and Imperial.
The petroleum products were dominated by premium motor spirit, otherwise known as petrol and automated gas oil (AGO).
Other consignments include bulk cement, fertilizer, wheat, bitumen, fish, sugar and general goods.
In Apapa port, at least two vessels , MVs Aegean Wind and Rim 111, have been awaiting customs clearance since last week.
The vessels came with bulk cement and bitumen.
Others include containers, rice, bagged urea and vehicles.
As at last week, there were speculations that the International Ship and Port Facility (ISPS) Code, introduced by the International Maritime Authority (IMO) to check terrorism on ships and ports may lead to a situation in which many vessels will keep away from some ports until it is confirmed that such seaports are compliant.
The fear is that if a ship visits a port which is not compliant, it may not be accepted in another port which is compliant.
ISPS Code which introduction was induced by the United States government in response to September 11 attack, is a set of security rules to check terrorism in all maritime nations.
The Federal Government recently passed ISPS Code into law in Nigeria.
IMO consultant, Mr. Abiodun Omotesho told THISDAY, "right now, shipping community all over the world are investigating progress made in countries where they are trading to see the level of compliance", he told THISDAY.
Omotesho stated that the ISPS code compliance will bring about a lot of impact on the economy.
"There will be slow down in ship movement as ships will try to find out what port has complied with the code", he said Wednesday.
According to him, what will happen is that countries where there is no compliance, ships will be avoiding such places, and if any one decides to go, it will be at very high cost on the shippers.
"If the ports here are not compliant, ships that come here may stop. Initially, some countries including Nigeria said, who is going to bomb us. But now it goes beyond that", he said.
The IMO Consultant noted that there has been too much concentration on port implementation all over the world than in control of ships.
He adds that in West Africa, the situation could worse since there never been any Port State Control (PSC). "If port state control has been in place in West Africa, compliance of ship would have been easy", he said.
He added, "control of ships is vital, if after port control, what of ship control. If ships cannot be examined thoroughly in the sub-region, it will be another disaster. As the date approaches, youo find that only 30 percent of fleet is complying. Compliance of ship is poor. This is 18 months since the Code was introduced but people have been very slack".
Omotesho explains, "why ship control is important is to ensure that terrorists do not pose as crew members".
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