NIMASA moves floating dock to new Dolphin Jetty

The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA)’s floating dock would be moved to its new site by a Nigerian-registered company, Melsmore Marine Nigeria Limited. The floating dock will be moved from the Naval Dockyard to the waterfront of the Dolphin Jetty at the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) Dockyard which used to be the Continental Shipyard. Mr Danny Fuchs, the Managing Director, Melsmore Marine Nigeria Ltd, confirmed the development in a statement on Friday in Lagos. Fuchs said they were committed to executing their project. “Our job is to move the Modular Floating Dock from the present location to the waterfront of the Dolphin Jetty at Apapa. “THSD SEA LION which occupied the leased area at the water front have vacated the jetty now. We have a commercial understanding with NIMASA on how to execute this project,” he said. He noted that they had submitted a feasibility study taking note of the mooring system required to anchor the modular floating dock at the Dolphin jetty. Fuchs said the mooring system supplied by the manufacturers of the modular floating dock was made up of two steel piles of 36 meters length, two meters in diameter and a weight of roughly 48 tonnes each. He said these massive piles need to be driven about 20 meters into the seabed, adding that they would bring their expertise to bear in carrying out the project. “We also hope to invite the manufacturers, Damen Shipyard, to join forces in achieving this relocation project,” he said. While addressing the officials of Melsmore, the Director General of NIMASA, Dr Bashir Jamoh, emphasised the need for them to review the action plan in the light of realities on ground with detailed deliverables, and key performance indicators with clearly stated timelines. “Nigerians eagerly await the deployment of the modular floating dock. This is a national asset, which has potential to boost maritime trade, create jobs, develop skills, by providing training avenues to various maritime training institutions in Nigeria. “It will also attract foreign investment and prevent capital flight, thereby generating revenue,” he said.

Modular Floating Dock: NIMASA takes over continental shipyard

The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA has taken over areas leased to it by the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) at the Continental Shipyard for the operations of the Modular Floating Dock. The areas include: the Dolphin Jetty, Waterfront of the jetty adjourning the slipway, an administrative block, a construction, welding and mechanical workshop and a civil maintenance workshop, among others. During the ceremony, the Director General of NIMASA, Dr. Bashir Jamoh, said the handing over of the Continental Shipyard to NIMASA marks the final lap in the quest of the Agency to deploy the modular floating Dockyard. The Director General, who was represented by the Head, Public, Private Partnership, PPP, Unit Mr. Kabiru Diso assured stakeholders that the Modular Floating Dockyard would soon be deployed since all grey areas between NIMASA and the NPA have been cleared. “The Modular Floating Dockyard is a national asset and now that all grey areas between the NPA and NIMASA have been addressed, we are very close to the deployment of the Modular Floating Dock.  Our goal is to domicile dry-docking of vessels in the country thus saving the nation foreign exchange currently expended on dry-docking vessels outside the shores of Nigeria. The floating dock will also provide both direct and indirect employment to Nigerians with a multiplier effect on capacity development,” he said. The Infrastructure Concession and Regulatory Commission (ICRC), had issued a certificate of compliance for an Outline Business Case (OBC) for the operation of the floating dock, while also describing it as bankable and sustainable. The modular floating dock, which has the capacity to handle up to 10,000 Metric Tons vessels, would be run on a Public Private Partnership arrangement.