In a bid to enhance efficiency in the delivery of its towage services, the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) yesterday commissioned four new tug boats in Lagos.
The four new tug boats namely; Mt. Daura, Mt. Ubima, Mt. Uromi and Mt. Majiya who budgetary circle started from 2015 were procured at the cost of over $30 million in an ongoing procurement process.
Speaking at commissioning ceremony, the Managing Director of NPA, Ms Hadiza Bala Usman stated that the new tug boats would provide the authority an avenue to tug in very new vessels adding that a lot of the operators had been concerned about the towage services the authority was providing.
Usman added that with the new tug boats and addition to its fleet, NPA was going to be more efficient in delivering towage services in its pilotage district.
“These four tug boats are the top of the range tug boats globally. They are internationally best tug boats available in the market and we have brought them to the Nigerian market and we believe that they will enhance our maritime operations both in the Eastern and Western zones of the maritime operations”, she said.
On the rationale behind the naming of the four tug boats, the NPA MD said,” we identified towns and communities where the leaders that had led Nigeria emerged from, that is exactly what informed the naming of these vessels”.
She informed that NPA having a total of nine tug boats in its fleet, the authority was looking at the requirements across the respective zones so as to deploy the tug boats accordingly.
The NPA boss further disclosed that the Nigerian Captains would understudy the foreign Captains for a period of three months in order to understand how those automated top f the range tug boats operate.
Usman maintained that the four tug boats would enhance the Nigerian revenue as a lot of vessels calling in Nigeria would now be comfortable to call into the country aware that the capacity of towage is available.
“As we mentioned during the presentation, we have FPOs that are coming and FPO requires this level of vessel facility. So, we are confident that we can bring in and maneuver any size vessel into the Nigerian ports”, Usman said.
She however expressed the hope that the number of the tug boats would be increased which would in turn increase the number of crew members saying that a total of seven crew members were aboard each of the tug boats and that the authority was working to transition between the Nigerian Captains and their foreign counterparts.
According to her, “We have these new additional tug boats. As I said earlier, they are top of the range. We intend to procure additional tug boats and the pilot cost is within the 2017 budget. These s I said are inherited budget that we believe are critical and we have completed them. We need to look at the past administration and commend them for the initiative as we proceed for actualizing the rolling plan for providing vessels for the Nigerian maritime industry”.
In his speech, the Chairman of the NPA Board of Directors, Mr. Emmanuel Olajide Adesoye extolled the Management for doing a” fantastic job” in launching the boats noting that the tugs are expected to enhance the revenue position of the authority and urged the organization to ensure that Nigeria develops the capacity to build her own likes in the next five years.
Also speaking at the event, the General Manager, Monitoring and Compliance, Western Ports of the NPA, Capt. Iheanacho Ebubeogu stated that the tug boats were being commissioned and deployed to expedite voyage to and from the sea in line with changing transport dynamics.
He further revealed that the NPA maintains tier-2 status in line with MARPOL convention with the capability to arrest pollution before they spread to other areas of concerns to delight of Stakeholders. Ebubeogu said the tugs could be used to, amongst other functions, salvage ships which go aground.
In her goodwill message, the distinguished Senator, Mrs Binta Masi Garba affirmed that commissioning 4 tug boats in one day was laudable and that the National Assembly would do everything to support what the NPA is doing since it would help to improve the economy of the nation especially in the present situation.
In her own speech, the President of Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Mrs Adenike Akande while acknowledging that Nigerian women are doing well, commended the NPA MD for achieving so much within a short period.
Photo: L-R: Chairman, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) Board of Directors, Emmanuel Adesoye; Executive Director Marine and Operation, Dr. Sekonte Davies; President, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Mrs Nike Akande and a member of the NPA Board, Barrister Constance Harry Onukwagha; during the commissioning of one of the four new tug boats acquired by NPA in Lagos on Wednesday.
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