The Management of Rivers Port Complex says the Port had done a lot to improve the economic growth and development of the country.

This assertion was contained in a statement by the Chief Port Public Affairs Officer of the Port, Mrs Barbra Ejemeh Nchey-Achukwu and made available to The Tide Correspondent in Port Harcourt recently.

According to the statement, the Port account for 10 per cent of the business activities in cargo portfolio in Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), adding that it also provide critical services to the concessionaires and stakeholders, while finished products of Petroleum were brought into the country.

The statement also has it that Rivers Port is still very relevant in the scheme of economic activities by sustaining the nation’s economy, yielding huge revenue to the country as it performed its roles and mandate by the Federal Government Satisfactorily.

As the Port Clocks its 100 years of maritime services this year, the statement further said it would continue to operate ship and cargo operations within its catchment areas of North East, South East and South South, disclosing that the Port was provided with wharfage and berthing facilities in 1926 to cope with domestic trade along the Niger Delta Line and other parts of the country.

Accessing its activities in the past 100 years, the statement said the composite nature of the port had encouraged it to administer 47 Jetties within close proximity and far flung locations, stressing that,” the port is a modest port with the traditional ways of handling cargo. It has 8 berths and 47 Jetties.”

It also stated that as a natural port that has an access channel at the Bonny Rivers approximately 52 noutical miles from the fairway Buoy to the wharf area, it is made up of Port Harcourt Hard quays with a 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 Port, it was further gathered is equipped with 16 tank farms of 3,048 tonns capacity for bulk oil installation with a conveyor belt and a pier holding the structure, while there are also seven transit sheds storage of 26,337.15 square meters capacity.

On the area of physical infrastructure, they have embarked on some projects such as Visual Personnel Network (VPN) to access information, maintained crafts regularly, rehabilitate berths one, two and three which are 74 per cent completed.

It also rehabilitate road and water distribution network which is 74 per cent completed, rehabilitate fenders at the quay apron which is in progress while preliminary under water survey of sheet, concrete pile and bulk heads for wave is on going.

“Rivers Port is also receiving massive facelift along side a high volume of activities, the statement further said, pointing out that the two concessionaires, ports and Terminals Operators Nigeria Limited (PTOC) and Bua Terminal Limited living up to expectation in their contract terms in the area of construction and rebuilding of facilities.

It however noted that the services at the port continued to change with time following the decision of the government to shift focus to other activities expected to generate local employment.