“Over 1,600 containers”: Onne Multipurpose Terminal welcomes largest container vessel

• The biggest cargo ship to ever dock at Rivers State's Onne Multipurpose Terminal (OMT) was received
• At 10:30 am on Wednesday, the Singapore-flagged ship reached the OMT jetty and was securely berthed
• The ship will load 1,619 containers—including empty and export-bound cargo—and unload 1,250 containers during its 55-hour port stay

Legit.ng jour.alist Zainab Iwayemi has 5-year-experience covering the Economy, Technology, and Capital Market.

Rivers State's Onne Multipurpose Terminal (OMT) hosted the largest cargo ship to ever call in its shores, the Kota Carum, at the Onne Federal Ocean Terminal (FOT).

Owned by Pacific International Lines (PIL), one of Asia's leading maritime companies, the Singapore-flagged ship arrived at the OMT jetty Wednesday at 10:30 am and was safely berthed in berths 9 and 10 in 20 minutes.

At 301.43 meters in length, the Kota Corum can transport 6,606 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units). The ship will spend 55 hours in port, loading 1,619 containers, including empty and export-bound cargo, and unloading 1,250 containers.

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“We are incredibly honoured to receive the largest vessel to ever berth at Onne. Following the arrival of the Kota Cempaka last year,” said Jim Stewart, chief operating officer of OMT, who described the call as a win for Nigeria’s maritime industry.

“It’s a win for the Nigerian economy. The ability to berth larger vessels means more direct cargo movement, reduced logistics costs, and increased revenue for the country,” Stewart said. “Freight forwarders also benefit, as they avoid the extra costs associated with transshipment,” he said.

By eliminating the requirement for transhipment via smaller feeder vessels, direct calls by larger ships save freight and logistics costs for Nigerian importers and exporters.

Stewart said OMT’s ongoing modernisation and “strategic investments in terminal infrastructure”, including the acquisition of additional state-of-the-art cranes, have improved the terminal’s cargo-handling capabilities and reduced vessel turnaround time.

“Allowing a vessel of this magnitude to berth at our terminal is a vote of confidence in our capabilities,” he said of the NPA.

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Notwithstanding the milestone, Stewart urged the Federal Government to boost funding for channel dredging at Onne Port to attract even larger ships and expand trade volumes.

“We are fully prepared to receive vessels from any shipping line. But for us to unlock the full potential of Onne Port, additional dredging is essential. We urge the Federal Government to support NPA with the necessary resources to deepen and widen the channels,” Stewart said.

Yakubu Ezra, head pilot at Onne port, who was also at the ship's berth, said the Nigerian Ports Authority has all the equipment and expertise needed to safely pilot large ships into our ports.

Nigerian port receives the world’s largest container vessel

Legit.ng reported that Nigeria’s premier port, APM in Apapa, Lagos, has made history after receiving EA Centaurus, the largest vessel to ever visit the port complex.

The vessel, owned by COSCO Shipping Lines, has 7,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), measuring 272 metres in length, 43 metres in width, and has a 14.3-metre draft.

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Marincraft disclosed that the ship sails under the Singaporean flag and has left Lagos port enroute Lekki port.

Source: Legit.ng