The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) is supportive of efforts toward ensuring reduction in hazardous emission from the shipping industry.
Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Mr. Mohammed Bello-Koko, Thursday expressed the Authority’s position in his goodwill message at the 2022 World Maritime Day event themed ‘New Technologies for Greener Shipping.”
Commemorated globally, the event in Nigeria held at the Eko Hotels and Suites in Victoria Island, Lagos.
Speaking, the NPA MD said efforts toward reducing hazardous emissions within the marine environment was in line with promoting the blue economy.
His words: “Eco-friendly port is very much in tandem with the Nigerian Ports Authority’s resolve to identify with the rest of humanity in contributing to the share of the shipping industry in reducing hazardous emissions within the marine environment.
“This is also in-sync with the National Agenda for the adoption of globally prescribed solution to environmental hazard through the National Blue Economy Initiative.”
According to Bello-Koko, the NPA has also gone ahead with other actions toward environmental sustainability, like the creation of a dedicated desk for of Ballast Water Management, to address issues, of Climate Change and Life Below Water.
Bello-Koko said that the Authority has also planned on deployment of a Port Community System to address issues of automation.
His words: “Realizing that automation is the pillar of port efficiency, we are working assiduously under the technical guidance and consultancy of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to deploy the Port Community System (PCS), which will afford us the platform needed to develop a cocktail of digital solutions that can make ships more energy-efficient, reduce pollution, while at the same time ensuring the global competitiveness of the Nigerian Ports through eco-friendly services.”
He also charged the maritime sector on the need to become more environmental sustainability conscious rather than totally focusing on cost savings and revenue maximization.
The NPA MD also disclosed that “To further demonstrate our commitment to matters of healthy environment, the Authority towards the end of 2020 signed the IMO Sulphur Regulations 2020 which mandates a maximum Sulphur content of 0.5% in marine fuels globally.”
He said that the driver of the change is the need to reduce the air pollution created in the shipping industry by reducing the Sulphur content of the fuels that ships use.
Bello-Koko added that: “Transition to the use of natural gas which is more environmental friendly by vessels plying our waterways is on our agenda as an organization that believes in the catalytic role that natural gas can play in the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations, in particular Goal 7 – to ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all.”
He reiterated that the NPA is open to partnerships and supports policies and actions aimed at optimizing the advantages that the endowment of over a hundred trillion cubic feet of natural gas can bring to bear on Nigeria’s economy.
Making reference to the fully-automated Lekki Deep Seaport scheduled for operations before the end of 2022, Bello-Koko said the port would attract bigger cargo volumes by reason of the capacity to berth large super post panamax vessels.
He added that the automated system would make it possible “that ships will spend lesser time in port, thus reducing fuel consumption and emissions during vessel operations. The Badagry Deep Seaport for which approval was recently gotten will also toe same path of full automation at take-off.”
