Posted on June 9, 2025
The Chairman of Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents, ANLCA, Onne Seaport Chapter, Chief Ifeanyi Isikaku, has said that the Port is viable and functioning perfectly at optimal capacity, contributing immensely to growing the nation’s economy.
The ANLCA Chairman lamented that maritime activities at the Onne Seaport is underreported, and not properly presented before the Nigerian government and the public, maintaining that the port is safe for business activities.
Isikaku who is also the Chief Executive Officer of Godify Towers Group, stated these during an interactive session with journalists, in his office at the ANLCA Secretariat, Onne, Eleme local government area of Rivers State.
He also called on the Federal Government to consider dredging the Onne Seaport from its current depth of 16.4 metres to 17 metres, to boost trade at the Port and enhance Nigeria’s maritime competitiveness.
He bemoaned situations where stakeholders and Nigerians who are not on ground, or don’t visit Onne Seaport, go about demarketing the seaport with impression that nothing much is happening there, citing freight differential, insecurity and low activities at the port, among others.
Isikaku explained that Hapag-Lloyd Vessel, one of the world’s leading liner shipping companies, berthed recently at the Port, with over 300 containers.
He said, “The essence of this meeting today is to ensure collaboration with the media on how we can uplift Onne Seaport, give adequate report on activities of the Port.
“It seems that we are not giving a good report of activities in the Port, both from the terminal operators, both Onne Multipurpose Terminal (OMT), the West Africa Container Terminal (WACT)-APM Terminals Nigeria, and especially the media.
The terminal operators here, especially WACT have been investing heavily at the Port, the just invested over N115 Millon dollars, and that investments have attracted other shipping lines.
“Just on Monday, WACT received Happer Lloyd, one of the biggest vessels that berthed in Onne, with over 300 containers.
“The same thing with OMT, when you go there, you see a lot of cargos, both containerised and general cargos coming into Onne Port.
“I want to say that activities at the Onne Seaport is underreported by the media, people think that the Port is not functioning, the Onne seaport is functional. Custom gets over N50 billion naira revenue in the Port, and some people will be asking if the Port is functioning.
“Vessels berth here in Onne Port on weekly basis, both masculine core, CMJC core, MAC, PIL and then Happa Lloyd, and other shipping companies like OME, among others all come to the Onne Seaport.
“Because these activities at the Port are not reported by the journalists on ground here, people come from Lagos and write whatever they like, and people will take it. Please, am urging us to look at those things that benefits the economy of the nation from Onne seaport and report them.”
On why many, including some freight forwarders from Rivers State patronize other ports outside the Onne Seaport, Isikaku blamed it on misinformation and ignorance.
“Most freight forwarders, based on the underreporting of Onne Seaport, think the port is not functioning. Another problem we having here is that when a vessel is bringing a consignment to Onne Port, that vessel will go to Lagos first to lighten up, because the draft of Onne is about 16.4, and if the vessel is carrying load of 16.9 definitely it cannot berth here, it has to go to Lagos, offload some cargos before coming back to Onne Port. Sometimes they go to Serielone before coming back.
“So, we are calling on the government to dredge the Onne Seaport to atleast 17 meters. And if that is done, there is no type of vessel that cannot berth here. And vessels can now come direct from China to Port Harcourt, a d that will massively boost trade and Maritime activities here,” he said.
Responding to complaints of marginalisation and neglect of Rivers State based Energy and Maritime Reporters (journalists) covering the Seaport, by Port Terminals and other agencies at the port, especially in their area of covering their activities and events, Chief Isikaku promised to reach out to the relevant agencies through their public relations officers to resolve the issue, as raised.
The ANLCA Chairman also used the medium to call on his members and all freight forwarders operating at Onne Seaport and at the Eastern Zone to embrace the newly introduced E-callup exercise by the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), rather than oppose it on grounds of congestion, among others reasons.
He said there is more benefits and advantages in the E-callup to freight forwarders and operators, the NPA, than the disadvantages.
He however, called on management of the NPA at Onne Port to carry out more stakeholders’ engagements and sensitisation, before kick-starting the exercise, which according to him will provide adequate security of trucks and safety of cargos leaving and entering the port, and as well, provide accommodation for drivers and car maintenance workshops for fixing of faulty trucks, among others.
He added that the Truck Bay facility according to NPA, will provide for standard best practices, as witnessed all over the world, thereby, reducing road congestion and ensuring adequate monitoring of to and fro movements of trucks at Onne Seaport.
Speaking on the recently launched B’Odogwu system by the Nigeria Customs Service, Onne Area II Command, Chief Isikaku described the exercise as a right step in the right direction.
He added that the B’Odogwu system launch, will enhance seamless operation and provide faster and efficient service delivery to both the Customs and freight forwarders, compared to the previous services of Nigeria Integrated Customs Information System (NICISS II).
