Port congestion: NIWA to move cargo from Lagos to Onitsha Port through ACTL 

By Steve Agbota 

As part of effort to make Onitsha River Port functional, and to decongest the Lagos Ports, the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) said it has concluded plans to engage the services of Akewa Colmar Terminal Limited (ACTL) to move containers from Lagos Ports to Onitsha River Port via Burutu Port in Delta State. The idea of hauling containers via Burutu Ports to Onitsha River port is to avoid the two small bridges at Gbarekolo and Bumandi.  

NIWA explained that the two bridges are too tiny and shallow for sea going badges or vessels to ply through, stressing that it was against this background that the company (ACTL) is considering the route from Lagos Ports to Burutu Port and then to Onitsha River Port as final destination.

However, the Managing Director of NIWA, Chief, George Moghalu, said that NIWA is targeting about 1,000 containers to be hauled per trip from Lagos Ports to Onitsha River Port within the maximum duration of  four days. 

The NIWAS boss added that the agency was engaging Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) and other stakeholders to facilitate the commencement of cargo haulage.

Earlier, Chairman of ACTL, Mr Kenneth Donye, told the NIWA management while defending his company’s proposal at the Liaison Office, Abuja, of his company’s readiness to partner with it in carrying out this noble and historic transshipment from Lagos ports, via Burutu Port to Onitsha Riverport as final destination.