The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has officially taken over areas leased to it by the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) at the Continental Shipyard to operate the modular floating dock. The handover includes the dolphin jetty, waterfront of the jetty adjoining the slipway, an administrative block, construction, welding and mechanical workshops, and a civil maintenance workshop, among others.
During the handover ceremony, NIMASA’s Director-General, Dr. Bashir Jamoh, stated that the handover marks the final phase in the Agency’s efforts to deploy the modular floating dockyard. He assured stakeholders that the dockyard would soon be deployed as all issues between NIMASA and NPA have been resolved.
The deployment of the modular floating dock is part of NIMASA’s goal to conduct dry-docking of vessels within the country, thereby saving foreign exchange spent on dry-docking vessels outside Nigeria. The project is expected to provide direct and indirect employment opportunities for Nigerians, fostering capacity development in the maritime sector.
The Infrastructure Concession and Regulatory Commission (ICRC) has issued a certificate of compliance for an Outline Business Case (OBC) for the operation of the floating dock, confirming its bankability and sustainability. The modular floating dock, capable of handling up to 10,000 metric tonnes vessels, will be run through a Public-Private Partnership arrangement.