Positive fruits of consistent dredging exercisebacked by increasing removal of wrecks from the nation's channel by the Nigerian Ports Authority may have begun to manifest, as investors who initially banked on Malabo are believed to be presently warming up for Nigeria.Some major investors in the oil rig business have reportedly canceled an oil rig which was earlier planned for Equatorial Guinea and brought it into Lagos, on the premise that business prospect in Nigeria with developed and deepened channels would be better than in Malabo. Founded in 1827 as 'Port Clarence' but changed name in1973, Equatorial Guinea according to the 2005 census figures has a population of less than 250,000.Industry watchers who told the Nigerian Tribune that the arrival of the giant rig 140, would not have been possible but for the ongoing dredging and removal of the critical wrecks which dotted the Lagos channels, also noted strongly that the arrival of the rig would announce to the international community that Nigeria's was ripe for the next level, with its positive implication on youth employment, skill development and revenue boost for both the government and the citizens.'Nigeria has consistently been taking the right decisions in the area of dredging and wreck removal. But the truth is that Nigeria took the right decision when it embarked on port reforms. The reforms ignited a long chain of reactions, which came as new challenges; and the efforts towards finding solutions to them had increasingly helped in pushing the nation's maritime industry forward,' declared an importer, Ajie Ikenna Obazie, pointing out that the arrival of the oil rig called for celebration.Another maritime operator who pleaded for anonymity observed that much as he wished to focus on the multiplier effects of the advent of the oil rig, he nonetheless wished to look at things from the angle of why it was happening now.'You know the Nigerian Ports Authority has enjoyed having its chief executive officers or managing directors sourced from inside. That is what happened over time. Government has been picking those who had stayed long enough to know what should come next. Government has succeeded in picking those who came and built on the achievements of their predecessors.'Beginning from the port reforms which was anchored by Chief Adebayo Babatunde Sarumi, to his successors, Chief Felix Obvude and Mallam Abdulsalam Mohammed, until the present the present Managing Director, Mr Omar Suleiman, you can see that the cord has remained unbroken. That is what happens when you allow round pegs to stay long enough in round holes to bud, bloom and bring forth fruits,' he posited, highlighting that if the present focus was maintained, the success would flag off new developments in the maritime industry.When the view of the Lagos Channel Management LCM Managing Director, Danny Fuchs was sought, he declined comment, stressing that much as he was aware of the presence of the oil rig in Lagos, he would not comment, as head of the NPA joint partner company whose dredging efforts resulted in the coming of the rig.'I don't want to talk on this issue. I am happy, because I know that once an oil rig comes in and stabilises, several others would soon be attracted to join. I am happy because the rigs would bring in new business opportunities into the country, from which many presently unemployed youths would benefit from. I am happy that government has consistently been taking the right decisions in the area of dredging and wrecks removal. And I am happy that we are directly connected to the fulfillment of government aspirations towards transforming Nigeria into a hub for the West and Central African sub region,' stated Fuchs, adding that he was still waiting to see the quick manifestation of government's dreams, as far as the maritime industry was concerned.It will be recalled that the ongoing dredging and wrecks removal exercise culminated in the deepening of the channel, and resulted in the berthing of Maersk line super ships called West African Maximum or WAFMAX, one of which it christened the MV Calabar to ply Nigeria ' Far East routes, with its attendant consequences on freight slide in favour of the Nigerian importers.It will also be recalled that prior to the port reforms, the nation's channel, particularly the Lagos channel hovered around an abysmal 8.5 metre to 9m, and thus restricted the inward movement of large ships capable of bringing in cargo at relatively reduced freight cost. With the MV Calabar, sailing in at over 12.5m, the nation's channel depth above the required 13m.
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