Calabar Port To Cut Logistics Costs By Over 40%
. Berths Container Vessel, Four Years After
. Importers, Exporters Urged To Leverage Seaport For Economic Gains
By Sulaimon Salau
The Calabar Port has been positioned to cut logistics costs by over 40%, thereby reducing prices of items for domestic consumption.
This was disclosed as the Calabar FreePort received another containerized ship – MV Omoefe at the ECM Terminals.
The berthing of the containerized vessel marks a significant development in the region’s shipping landscape, being the first of its kind in the last four years.
With this development, stakeholders are optimistic that this breakthrough, if maintained, would revitalize commercial activities in Cross River, Akwa Ibom, and the broader South East, North East, North West, and North Central regions of Nigeria.
During the Customs inspection of containers laden with household materials, the Regional Manager of Clearance Shipping West Africa, Solomon Ogodo, encouraged importers and exporters to leverage the Calabar Port to cut logistics costs by over 40%, potentially reducing prices of household items.
He noted the port’s strategic location is advantageous to the national economy, but emphasized the need for further investment, especially in dredging, to enable consistent shipping activities.
Deputy General Manager of ECM Terminals, Engr. Edward Akpan, expressed appreciation on behalf of ECM Terminals Management, thanking the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) for collaborating with terminal operators to break the four-year hiatus.
He commended the NPA for the incentives offered to cargo owners for using the eastern ports, as well as for promoting a safe and rapid vessel turnaround time at Calabar Port.
Further, Akpan and other stakeholders urged the government to prioritize the dredging of the Calabar Port to facilitate regular imports and exports.
They also called for accelerated efforts on the construction of the Odukpani-Itu axis, which connects Cross River and Akwa Ibom States, to enhance economic growth in the region.
