Cargo throughput at the nation’s seaports rose by 15.4 per cent to 41.32 million metric tonnes in the first half of this year compared to 35.81 million metric tonnes in the corresponding period of 2013, according to figures released by the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA).

NPA’s assistant general manager public affairs, Musa Ilya, who released the figures, stated that Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) shipment stood at 10.42 million metric tonnes, representing a growth of 23 percent over 8.46 million metric tonnes recorded in the first half of 2013; while 5.98 million metric tonnes of general cargo were handled at the ports, indicating a rise of 1.3 percent over 5.90 million metric tonnes in the corresponding period of 2013.
Ilya said dry bulk cargo handled at the ports within the period rose by 5.9 per cent to 4.84 million metric tonnes; volume of refined petroleum products climbed 3.6 percent to 10.19 million metric tonnes; laden container volume rose by 14 percent to 509,946 TEUs while empty container throughput stood at 364,745 TEUs representing an increase of 14.2 per cent over the corresponding period of 2013.
The NPA figures also indicated that a total of 154,846 units of vehicles were handled in the period under review, showing an increase of 16.5 percent over the same period of the 2013 figures of 132,930 units.