Nigeria: Calabar Port Dredging Program to Conclude in 2013

The Calabar Port Manager, Mr Musa Wada, says the dredging of Calabar Port will be realised before the end of the year.

Wada told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Calabar that the project was captured in this year’s budget.

He said that an efficient and vibrant port would boost the Tinapa Business and Leisure Resort, the Calabar Free Trade Zone and create job opportunities.

“The focus of my administration will be to improve on our staff welfare, sustain the drive for the dredging of the port’s 84 km long channel, while making case for the improvement of the other complimentary infrastructure.

“These include road links to the hinterland, the re-engineering of our operations and documentation processes, to ensure faster response to customer needs,’’ he said.

The manager, who assumed duty recently, said that the procurement process for the dredging had been concluded, adding that the next stage was for contractors to tender bid for the job.

“You will recall that in a bid to reposition the port for greater efficiency and enhanced productivity, the central management of the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) made a number of changes at the top management levels.

“It was these changes that got me posted to Calabar Port as the new manager. My mandate is to make this port work.

“I am taking this assignment seriously since I consider it to be critical to the economic buoyancy of this state and our great nation,’’ Wada said.

Wada also called for the cooperation and partnership of the media in Calabar “as we all take up the onerous task of reactivating Calabar port”.

He said: “The management of NPA under Mr Habib Abdullahi, is media friendly; hence our management in Calabar port will remain open to the media at all times.

“All we ask from our partners in the media is positive, accurate and responsible reporting of the activities relating to the port.”

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Source: NAN, February 5, 2013