The largest container carrier to sail on Nigerian territorial waters yesterday birthed at the Lekki deep seaport
The vessel, christened ‘Maersk Edirne’, measures 367M in length and a breadth of 48.2. It was laden with a Gross Registered Tonnage (GRT) of 142,131metric tonnes and a Dead weight Tonnage (DWT) of 147,340 metric tonnes, constituting 3,376 total cargo onboard. It was navigated to safety by pilots of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA).
NPA Managing Director, Mohammed Bello-Koko, had during the signing of the presidential/ministerial performance bond last month, said ‘the agency, under his watch, is poised to provide the leadership and technical guidance required to maximise the potentials inherent in the marine and blue economy’.
Appraising the milestone achievement, Bello-Koko hailed the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, for the consistent support and endorsement of the authority’s initiatives and investments in employee upskilling and equipment renewal which made this milestone seamlessly achievable.
Before this time, the largest commercial vessels to sail on Nigerian waters were ‘MV Stadelhorn’ and ‘MSC Maureen’ at Onne Port and TinCan Island Port Complexes. Thus, the berthing of a ship measuring 367 meters at Lekki deep seaport represents a quantum leap forward.
The Lekki deep seaport has, by this feat, in addition to its pioneering of full automation and facilitation of transshipment, proven its readiness to exceed stakeholders’ expectations.
