Tin Can Port leads others in export, import

By Ray Ugochukwu

Of the nation’s major seaports, the Tin Can Island Port (TCIP), Lagos, has turned the leader in shipped goods, both in and outbound, dusting all others with over 44 per cent performance.

Records exclusively obtained by Seabreeze News from the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), show that between 2019 and 2021 the country’s cargo throughput hit a total volume of 4,609,973 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) with the Tin Can Port chalking up 2,053,344TEU, representing 44.54 per cent.

Mohammed Bello-Koko, MD of NPA

Surprisingly, the Lagos Port Complex (LPC), Apapa, generally regarded as the country’s premier port, came second with a total cargo throughput of 1,685,598TEU or 36.56 per cent.

The Onne Port Complex (OPC), Onne, Rivers State, ranked third with 16.57 per cent or 763,987TEU.

Its counterpart, the Port Harcourt Port, established in 1913, took a distant fourth position with goods in and out amounting to 91,582TEU or 1.97 per cent.

Container-stacking operation in Tin Can

A breakdown of the NPA statistics shows that in 2019 when the cargo throughput was 1,460,525TEU, Tin Can recorded 687,717TEU with Apapa taking up 534,768TEU as Onne and Port Harcourt made 203,387 and 33,055 TEUs respectively.

Similarly, in 2020, Tin Can figure hit 628,710TEU; Apapa, 566,295; Onne, 233,512; and Port Harcourt, 25,914 when the entire throughput for the year was 1,466,016TEU.

Also in 2021, when the country’s inbound and outbound goods hit a record 1,683,392TEU, Tin Can registered 736,917; Apapa, 584,535; 327,088; Onne, 327,088 and Port Harcourt, 32,653 TEUs in that order.

Tin Can gate

It is worthy of note that in the period under review, out of a total of outward throughout, 1,786,024TEUs, 1,297,455 left the country as empty containers, a record of 72.65 per cent.

On the other hand, only 488,569TEU was recorded as laden with goods with Tin Can still maintaining the lead all through.