Vice President Kashim Shettima has inaugurated a 115 million dollar operational Terminal equipment at Onne Seaport in Rivers, whose upgrade was initiated by the West Africa Container Terminal (WACT).
WACT is a major terminal at Onne Port and a subsidiary of APM Terminals.
The Vice President innaugurated the facility on Wednesday at Onne.
Represented by his Personal Assistant on Subnational Infrastructure, Mr Musaddiq Mustapha, the Vice President assured of the federal government commitment to infrastructure development towards econommic growth.
According to him, the facility, which has cutting-edge terminal equipment, advanced technological equipment, an administrative building, maintainance workshop and an enhanced CCTV Surveillance System, will boost operations at the terminal.
”Today’s event is not just a celebration and commitment by WACT and its partners, it also marks the beginning of a new chapter at Onne Port.
“These equipment will provide expanded opportunities for trade development within the Nigerian maritime sector.
“‘The achievement also demonstrates dedication and commitment of the company and other stakeholders who have contributed resources and expertise to actualising this vision,” he said.
Mr Frederik Klinke, Managing Director of APM Terminal, commended the federal government for providing an enabling environment which had supported the ease of doing business in the country.
The Managing Director noted that the company, in about three decades of progressive terminal operations, had also maintained an impressive safety record.
He also said that the company had embarked on various manpower development programmes which had directly impacted on its host communities as part of corporate social responsibilities.
Representative of the state government and Commissioner for Environment, Mr Sydney Gbara, commended the company for investing in the state.
He assured of government’s readiness to continue to strengthen partnership with the private sector in the actualisation of the federal government economic policies.
Among dignitaries at the event were the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Mr Bashir Adeniyi, representative of the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, and stakeholders in the maritime sector.(NAN)
