By Our Correspondent
There Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, has given reason for moving its multi million Floating Dockyard to the Continental Ship yard on Dockyard Road in Apapa, saying that the shipyard has all auxiliary engineering services provision to service the floating dock.
Speaking to newsmen during a tour of the dock currently docked at the Nigerian Navy Dockyard, NIMASA’s Director of Shipping Development, Engr. Olu Aladenusi said that the decision to relocate the facility to Continental Shipyard was because the yard has a welding, fabrication and electrical and electronic workshop, a development that very key to functionality of the floating dock.
Aladenusi also said that when the facility finally becomes functional, it will create thousands of jobs and save a lot of foreign exchange that players in both the oil and gas and maritime industries spend to dry dock their vessels outside the country.
He disclosed that the Committee set up to work on how best to the facility into use, has concluded its work adding the report of the Committee will be presented to the managements of the Nigerian Ports Authority and NIMASA.
He stated that it the managements of these agencies that will agree and decide on when to move the dock to the yard.
He explained the floating dock has only two of its kind in Africa and one of them is in Nigeria adding that the dock is in very good condition waiting to be deployed for the economic benefits of ship owners and the nation’s economic.
He said; “There are three heavy duty generating sets that powers the dock and the power generating sets top of the range.
“As you can all see the floating dock is in perfect condition contrary to media reports.
“There is Committee between the NPA and NIMASA on the management plan of the dock and how to move the dock to its permanent place.
“Right now, we have completed the work of the Committee and we are at the point of reporting back to our individual management because we have sat for about three weeks. the top management will on when and how to move the dock to the Continental Shipyard.’’
The NIMASA floating dock was originally designed by Federal Government as Okerenkoko in Gbaramatu kingdom, Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State, as the operational base of the maritime facility which has two phases involving the construction of ship building facility and dockyard at Okerenkoko, maritime equipment and structures, ancillary buildings and electro-mechanical works and facilities, as well as civil and infrastructural works.
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