Why Onitsha Port may remain abandoned

The possibility of completing the construction of the Onitsha River Port, in the commercial town of Anambra State may remain a mirage for now.

Findings by Ripples Nigeria revealed that the Federal Government is yet to secure the counterpart funding for the project.

Initially, the port was estimated to cost about $300 million in 1983 and jumped to $1.6 billion in 2013, but Nigeria had relied on international donor agency, MS Marine Funds, an offshoot of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) for the money.

The agency had dedicated some funds to be accessed by developing countries, which meet the conditons to utilise it in modernising , building and completion of ports.

No official reason was given for not getting the funds, but a source said some disagreements among officials of the ministries of Water Resources and those of Transportation contributed to Nigeria not meeting the conditions for the funds.

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Ripples Nigeria learnt that introduction of politics into the project in 2014, when a fresh attempt was made to resume work on the site, led to removal of the file on the port from the priority lists of capital projects of government till date.

The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, was said to have been confronted by some prominent businessmen from the South East region, who requested him to accommodate the project in the current priority list of the ministry.

They reportedly reminded him how having the port completed could see them save more than N100 billion from costs and losses that they bear annually from clearing their consignment from Lagos ports and transporting same, by roads, to the various cities in the region.

Amaechi was said to have given his word on his taking a second look into the project, which is still at the construction of berthing platforms as well as a few cranes, most of which are out dated.

A maritime engineer, Davy Eshanokpe, on the level of jobs still left to complete the work, disclosed that until the dredging of River Niger is done, no medium-sized cargo ship can use the port even after putting in some facilities.

“In reality, no work is assumed to have been done toward making the Onitsha River Port a reality until the technical marine work is executed. There may be other infrastructure at the site, but they will only rot away with time unless dredging is done,” he stated.

A further inquiry reveals that the idea of having a port for that part of the country was conceived in 1962 by the then regional government of Dr. Michael Okpara as the Premier of the region.

The reason behind embarking on the project was to remove the landlocked status of the hinterland of the region, but subsequent governments have not allowed that dream to be actualised.

The Assistant Director of Information in the Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing, Mohammed Abdullahi had announced that the Federal Government has awarded contract for early works on the Second Niger Bridge.

He stated that the contract was awarded to Julius Berger (Nig.) Ltd. at a total cost of N14.4 billion, adding, that the existing Niger Bridge, inaugurated on January 4, 1966 had severely been overstressed, and that its continued serviceability could not be assured.

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