Yemisi Izuora
The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), has revealed that the Nigerian Ports recorded a total of 4,175 ocean going vessels in 2017.
Ocean-going vessel is a commercial ship greater than or equal to 400 feet in length or 10,000 gross tons, or propelled by a marine compression ignition engine with a displacement of greater than or equal to 30 liters per cylinder.
The NBS disclosed the figures in a “Nigerian Ports Statistics 2012- 2017’’ posted on its website.
The bureau said that a total of 4,175 ocean going vessels were recorded with 131,569,821 gross registered tonnage in 2017 as against 4,622 ocean going vessels with 134,2,13,076 gross registered tonnage in 2016.
Similarly, the report said that a total of 12,243 service boats with 5, 910,406 gross registered tonnage was recorded in 2017, as against 9,418 service boats with 5,193,402 gross registered tonnage in 2016.
The report said that a total of 71,903,266 cargo traffic was recorded at all Nigerian ports in 2017 as against 70,819,092 cargo traffic recorded in 2016.
It stated that 43,019,889 of the cargo traffic were inwards, while 28,883,377 were outward.
The bureau stated that a total of 181,404 vehicle traffic was recorded in 2017, at all the ports as against 105,189 and 131,994 vehicle traffic in 2016 and 2015 respectively.
The report noted that the number of passenger traffic at the Calabar Port within the period under review was put at 6,704 in 2017 as against 7,442 in 2016.