Congestion, Corruption And Chaos At Lagos Port

The port of Lagos has long had a reputation in the shipping industry of being a headache -- a hub where costly delays and other obstacles are legion

Lagos, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 15th Mar, 2021 ) :The port of Lagos has long had a reputation in the shipping industry of being a headache -- a hub where costly delays and other obstacles are legion.

But many in the business say the gateway to the huge market of Nigeria has become even more choked in recent months, its problems amplified by Covid and maritime piracy.

"It's total chaos," "a disaster," "an absolute mess," were some of the terms used recently by several company representatives who spoke to AFP on condition of anonymity.

"Some of my ships have to wait up to 80 days off the coast before being allowed to enter the port. It's unacceptable!" said an operations manager at a large shipping company.

"Also, because of the insecurity off the coast of Nigeria, they have to wait in Cotonou or Lome." Last year, each of the port's terminals was able to host six to seven container ships per week -- a rate that has since fallen to three per week.

The mouth of the sprawling complex is a slow, unending ballet of container ships, freighters and oil tankers as they crawl up in the queue for loading or unloading.

The port authorities did not respond to AFP's requests for comment.

Bottlenecks at this crucial port ricochet along the Gulf of Guinea, the operations manager said.

"The situation in Lagos creates congestion in all the ports of the region, from Abidjan (Ivory Coast) to Pointe-Noire (Congo-Brazzaville)," he said.

Lagos, Nigeria's economic capital of 20 million people, is where most of the country's goods are exported from, and imported to, feeding a market of 200 million people.

Early last year, before the pandemic hit, 99 percent of Nigeria's exports and 89 percent of imports transited via its ports, nearly exclusively via Lagos.

After oil, port activities in Lagos, which extend from Apapa to Tin Can Island, are Nigeria's second largest source of revenues.

Yet Nigeria loses an estimated $55 million (46 million Euros) daily because of congestion, according to Dynanmar, a Dutch consultancy firm.

Neighbouring Togo, with only eight million people, has now become the leading container port in the region in terms of capactiy.