By Elizabeth Adegbesan

The volume of economic activity through the nation’s sea ports improved marginally in 2017 as a total of 71.9 million metric tonnes of cargoes was recorded during the year as against 70.82 metric tonnes in 2016, representing an increase of 1.5 percent.

National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), in its report released yesterday stated that the number of vessels calling at the nation’s ports increased to 4,622 in 2017 from 4,175 in 2016, representing an increase of  10.7 percent.

But the report also showed a significant increase of  34 percent in the use of service boats in the oil and gas industry as 12,243 service boats were deployed in 2017as against 9,418 in 2016.

Similarly a total of 181,404 vehicle traffic was recorded in 2017 at all the ports as against 105,189 in 2016.

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.

The report also showed that in 2017 a total of 5million Gross Registered Tonnage (GRT) was recorded in 2016 as against 6 million in 2017.

Further breakdown of the report showed that Onne port in River State recorded the highest number of cargo traffic with a total of 25.8million metric tonnes in 2017 as against 23.8million metric tonnes in 2016.

For Apapa port, 18.909million metric tonnes was recorded in  2017, while 19.055million metric tonnes was recorded in 2016; Tincan Island port recorded 15.5million metric tonnes in 2017 as against 15.136million metric tonnes in 2016; Port Harcourt port recorded 3.462million metric tonnes in 2017 as against 3.546million metric tonnes in 2016; Calabar port recorded 2.159million metric tonnes in 2017 as against 2.277million metric tonnes in 2016: and Delta port recorded 56.015million metric tonnes in 2017 while 6.726million metric tonnes was recorded in 2016.

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