Rivers Port Has Received Tremendous Facelift – Manager

Excepts from an address presented by the Ports Manager, Rivers Ports Complex, Caroline Akum Ufere at the organisation’s centenary celebration recently.
Rivers Port, has come
of age. The Port which is the second oldest  in Nigeria next to Apapa Port is located in the Gulf of Guinea. It is strategically positioned, which helps to enhance quick realisation of government core economic objectives and aspirations through enhancement of maritime trade and employment generation.
The economic activities in the Eastern part of the country started with the discovery of coal in commercial quantity in Enugu, South  East of Nigeria. This necessitated the exportation of the mineral resources and thus paving way for the establishment of the sea port in Port Harcourt.
By 1913, operation of the new port took off in earnest having been commissioned by Lord Frederick Lugard, the first Governor General of Nigeria who named the Port after Lord Vermount Harcourt the Secretary of State for the colonies from where the name PORT HARCOURT was derived
From 1913 to 2013, the road map of attainment of centenary age has been a long, tortuous one, but a road the drivers have shown commitment and hard work to see it its success.
It is important to note that this fear of setting up a sea port also encouraged the building and completion of the railway line in Enugu in 1916 which also terminated at the Port Harcourt Sea Port.
Rivers Port in the last 100 years of operation has continued to operate ship and cargo operations with its catchment areas being the North East, South East and South-South. In 1926, the Port was provided with wharfage and berthing facilities to cope with domestic trade along the Niger Delta coast line and other parts of the country.
With subsequent expansion brought about by the First National Development plan of 1962-1968 and Post Nigerian Civil War National Economic Development blue print (1970-1974), the berths were increased to eight (8).
Rivers Port is an estuary port that has been an access channel at the Bonny River approximately 48km (52 Nautical Miles) from the fairway buoy to the wharf area.
The Port is made up of Port Harcourt Hard quays with total quay length of 1,290 metres, which could accommodate vessels within the range of 110 to 195 metres in Length Over All (LOA).
The composite nature of Rivers Port encouraged it to administer forty seven (47) jetties within close proximity and far flung locations. Some of these are Ibeto, Magcober, OKrika Petroleum, Delmar, Master Energy, Akerbase, Bitumen, NLNG, Shell, Eastern Bulkcem, etc. The Port also has some oil terminals that play vital role in supporting the revenue of the economy. The crude oil terminals under the jurisdiction of the Port includes Brass, Bonny Off-shore, Okoro, EA Off-shore, Ima, Okwosi, Obe, Bonga and others.
Prior to 23rd June 2006, the Nigerian Ports Authority was 100 per cent wholly responsible for managing the Rivers Port – covering infrastructural development, terminal cargo and vessel handling. The role of Nigerian Ports Authority thus became that of a monitor and regulator.
There are two existing Concessionaires operating in Rivers Port: Messrs Ports and Terminals Operators Nigeria Limited (PTOL) and BUA Ports and Terminal Limited. While Terminal “A” Comprising of berths 1-4 is handled by PTOL. Terminal “B” which has berths 5-8 falls under the purview of BUA Terminals.
Since June 2006, activities at Rivers Port have increased tremendously with BUA Ports and Terminal handling over six million metric tones of cargo. Alongside a high volume of activities, the Port is also receiving massive face lift as Ports and Terminals Operators Nigeria Ltd (PTOL) has undertaken the rehabilitation/reconstruction of berths 1-3 and construction of over 70,000 square metres of stacking area among others, rehabilitation of fenders at the quay apron.
Apart from the regular maintenance dredging of the Bonny Channel which has brought about a reasonable draught of 8.5 metres presently (though achievable draught is 10.5 metres after dredging), the port is also witnessing the rehabilitation of road and water distribution network (74% completed), the preliminary under water survey of sheet/concrete pile and bulk heads for wave has been completed.     The Rivers Port has undergone massive transformation since the concession to emerge as a modem comparable to its counterparts in other parts of the world. Nevertheless, the present state of lndustry  Road which serves as the main access into the port has been a source of concern to the port users. Vehicular movements along this port approach have been cumbersome, to say the least: the deplorable condition of the road causes traffic congestion at most times.
Epileptic power supply: The Port, for some years now, has had to depend on electricity generators to carry out its operations in the face of perennial power outage. Though, efforts are being made by Management to avoid disruptions to port operations, this is achieved at a high cost.
Nigerian Ports Authority land holdings are found in Port Harcourt, Bonny in Rivers State and Akassa in Bayelsa State. Over the years, most of these lands have been the-subject of encroachment by some natives of the host communities. These lands were actually acquired for future port development and complimentary port uses. As a result of this situation, the Authority needs to put necessary machinery in motion towards the re-establishment of the boundaries of these lands prior to fencing.
Rivers Port, apart from serving the needs of maritime related firms and other companies in the southern part of Nigeria also contends with vital economic role as a transit route to reach land locked countries in parts of Chad Republic and other northern states of the Country.
Today, it is a thing of pride that the Port provides essential services to prominent companies like Port Harcourt Flour Mills, PZ Cussons Plc, Nigerian Bulk -Oil Company and others.
Here, conveyor belts and pipelines are used to transfer products from the quays side to the various storage facilities. In the Rivers Port dockyard, there are four (4) units to carry out electrical, marine, engineering and construction works respectively. There is also African Circle Pollution Management facility at the Dockyard.
The Port with two (2) of its terminal operators are directly involved in handling of bulk vessels including fish, rice, cement cargo and other liquid bulk including imported refined petroleum products.
There is no doubt that Rivers Port has done a lot to enhance the economic growth and development of the country. It accounts for ten per cent of the business activities in cargo portfolio of Nigerian Ports Authority.
There has been an upward shift in businesses as new frontiers are being exploited. The operations within the Port is more organised as human and vehicular traffic have been greatly reduced in view of the bus-in- bus-out of the dockworkers to and from the terminals.
Despite its centenary age, with the continuous growth experienced in the Oil and Gas industry and so much foreign and direct investment being injected into the sector, Rivers Port will continue to be very relevant in the scheme of activities sustaining the economy of the country for a long time to come.
It is pertinent to mention at this juncture the immense support accorded Rivers Port by the Managing Director and the entire Management team towards the rehabilitation and improvement of the port’s facilities. It is our aspiration that with this wonderful gesture, the Rivers Port would soar to greater heights. We thank God for being part of history.
The glamour of this centenary celebration would not have been there if not for the support accorded us by our sponsors. Of note are: Bonny Channel Company, Ibeto Group, Shorelink Oil and Gas Services Limited, Masters Energy Oil & Gas Limited, West Africa Container Terminal, African Circle Pollution Management Limited, Delmar Petroleum Company Limited and Intels Nigeria Ltd.
Ufere is Manager, Rivers Ports Complex.