The Nigerian maritime industry has recorded another milestone barely one month after MSc Maureen, a vessel with a Length Over All (LOA) of 300 meters and breadth of 40 meters berthed at the Tin-Can Island Port Complex in Lagos. This time, it is Apapa Port!
Apapa Port in Lagos, on Friday, June 16, 2023, received a 300m LOA vessel, the largest container carrier ever to call at the premier port. The vessel christened Kota Canik, which is translated to mean ‘beautiful point’, is designed to carry up to 6,600 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of containers at a move.
The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) said the feat was an unprecedented development and a testament to the unwavering commitment of the Managing Director of the NPA, Mohammed Bello- Koko and his management to sustain investment in port infrastructure and equipment that enable operational excellence.
The vessel christened Kota Canik, which is translated to mean “beautiful point,” is designed to carry up to 6600 TEUS at a time, signaling a turning point and signposting the possibilities that improved infrastructure and equipment upgrades can harbinger.
While commissioning two ultra-modern control towers aimed at boosting the safety of navigation and scaling up Apapa and Tin Can Ports to acceptable international standards, Bello- Koko reiterated the authority’s resolve to “equip the ports for performance that meets and indeed exceeds stakeholders’ expectations.”
Responding to the development, the Port Manager of the Lagos Port Complex, Mr. Charles Bamidele Okaga, said, “Apapa Port is poised to continuously improve on the quality of service that made this milestone possible.”
He assured the liner, Pacific International Line (PIL), that the requisite efficiencies to berth the 350-meter LOA expected are already in place.
