The Nigerian Ports Authority says it has removed 24 critical wrecks from Lagos channels.
Chief Micheal Ajayi, NPA General Manager (Public Affairs), disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Lagos.
Ajayi said that the draught of the Lagos channels was now 13.5 metres and could allow vessels of 4,500 TEUs (20-foot equivalent unit).
Ajayi told NAN that the project was completed within 500-day time frame set for the completion of the job.
He said that the removal of the wrecks was to ensure that all the nation’s channels were in healthy condition to receive vessels.
Ajayi said that aside from the removal of? the wrecks, NPA had also started effective maintenance of the port channels.
According to him, buoys have been laid in all the channels leading to the nation’s seaports, including the Calabar channels.
NAN recalls that some big vessels like `Maersk Calabar’, `Maersk Conakry’ visited Lagos port in May 2011.
A former Minister of Transport, Alhaji Yusuf Suleiman, gave April deadline for the completion of the project. The work started in November 2010.?