NIWA to engage ACTL for cargoes movement from Lagos Ports via Burutu Port to Onitsha  

In an effort to make Onitsha River Port functional and to decongest the Lagos Ports, the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) said it would 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 Authority disclosed this in a statement signed by the General Manager Corporate Services, Mr. Jibril Dardau.

NIWA said that the idea of hauling containers via Burutu Ports to Onitsha River port is to deliberately avoid the two small bridges of Gbarekolo and Bumandi.

It said that the reason for avoiding the birdges is because “they are too tiny and shallow for sea moving badges or vessels to ply through that is why the company (ACTL) is considering the route from Lagos Ports to Burutu Port then to Onitsha River Port as final destination.

According to the statement, the Managing Director of NIWA, Chief Dr. George Moghalu, disclosed that NIWA was targeting about 1,000 containers to be hauled per trip from Lagos Ports to Onitsha River Port within the maximum duration of 4 days.

The MD also said that NIWA would be engaging Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) and other stakeholders to facilitate the commencement of the Cargo haulage.

The statement added that “Earlier, the Chairman of Akewa Colmar Terminal Limited (ACTL) Chief Kenneth Donye during the proposal defense at NIWA Liaison Office Abuja before the Management team of NIWA, expressed his company’s readiness to partner with NIWA in carrying out this noble and historic transshipment from Lagos Ports via Burutu Port to Onitsha River Port as final destination.”