16 vessels arrive Lagos ports with petrol, crude oil, others

Commercial shipping activities have remained robust across Lagos ports as vessels carrying petroleum products, food items and industrial cargoes continue to arrive at two of the nation’s major maritime gateways. The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), in its latest shipping position report released in Lagos on Wednesday, disclosed that no fewer than 16 vessels had berthed […]

Commercial shipping activities have remained robust across Lagos ports as vessels carrying petroleum products, food items and industrial cargoes continue to arrive at two of the nation’s major maritime gateways.

The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), in its latest shipping position report released in Lagos on Wednesday, disclosed that no fewer than 16 vessels had berthed at the Apapa, Tin Can Island and Lekki ports.

According to the authority, the ships are laden with petrol, fuel oil, naphtha, crude oil, bulk gas and urea meant for industrial production and consumer use.

The NPA also revealed that 34 more vessels are expected to arrive at the ports between May 6 and May 18, further boosting cargo traffic in the Lagos port corridors.

The incoming ships are expected to bring in various consignments including petroleum products, food supplies and general cargoes.

Some of the listed imports include buckwheat, containers, fresh fish, crude oil, bulk wheat, diesel, base oil, bitumen, gasoline and bulk soya.

The authority noted that shipping operations across the ports remained active, with steady inflow of both dry and liquid cargoes.

The report further indicated that 23 vessels are currently discharging cargoes at the ports. 

The cargoes include containers, aviation fuel, petrol, crude oil, gypsum, trucks, wheat, urea and fresh fish.

Maritime stakeholders said the sustained vessel traffic highlights continued commercial activities and strong import demand through Nigeria’s busiest seaports.

Daily Trust reports that the vessels include petroleum products and crude oil ostensibly meant for Dangote Refinery.

The refinery has continued to import crude oil following the inability of Nigeria to provide the required feedstock for the 650,000 bpd plant.

President/Chief Executive of Dangote Industries Limited, Aliko Dangote, recently disclosed that the refinery continues to bridge the gap of crude supply through imports from the United States and other African producers despite improvement of supply through the naira-for-crude initiative.

In a note on Tuesday, Dangote commended the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited for increasing crude deliveries to the refinery in March, noting that volumes rose to 10 cargoes—six supplied in naira and four in dollars—to support domestic fuel availability.

“Last month, they gave us six cargoes for naira and four cargoes for dollars,” he said.

He added that the refinery has shipped about 17 cargoes of petrol to African countries to cushion the impact of the crisis, leveraging its 650,000 barrels per day capacity to stabilise supply across multiple regions.