“Towards restoring the situation”
Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), said it has awarded the contract for remedial dredging of the Escravos channel.
The managing director of NPA Mohammed Bello-Koko communicated that this dredging program would help to expand the waterways and enable bigger vessels to visit the port in Delta State, this will definitely be helpful to draw shippers and also to enhance the economic activity in the region. The ultimate goal for this program is to ensure that Warri and other ports are more active than before.
Bello-Koko also said, “We all know that the breakwaters collapsed about 10 years ago, and there has been high siltation resulting in a reduction of the draft from 7 meters to 3 meters in some places.”
The break-waters play a major role in the provision of nautical access for vessels to Warri, Koko, and Sapele Ports in Delta State. The entire port is protected by the two breakwaters which are totally boomed out, Hence, mending works on the infrastructure have commenced, a great initiative to restore.
Also, NPA started the mapping and charting of the Escravos channel, which has not been done for over a decade or more. This enables to know the draft along the way and also ensures that the navigational aids are properly placed.
According to Mohammed Bello-Koko, the dredging, which has started will enable the port to have a better draft, receive bigger vessels, and record fewer incidences of vessels running aground when completed.
