Nigerian shipowners are crying out over the high cost of dry-docking their vessels in neighbouring West African countries, while a N50 billion modular floating dock owned by NIMASA lies unused in Nigeria.
The President of the Nigerian Indigenous Shipowners Association, Mr. Sola Adewunmi said that the Nigerian shipowners are forced to spend between $25 million to $30 million yearly on dry-docking abroad because Nigeria lacks functional facilities.
Dry-docking is a regular maintenance process where ships are taken out of water to be serviced and repaired—just like how cars are taken to a mechanic. This is done inside a structure called a “lock.”
According to NIMASA, there are about 1,102 cabotage (local) vessels operating in Nigeria, excluding foreign ships that come into the country. These vessels all need dry-docking services, and currently, they’re getting it outside Nigeria.
Adewunmi said, “On average, it costs about $2 million to dry-dock a vessel yearly. Five years ago, I spent over $750,000 to dock a 20,000-tonne vessel. It depends on the size of the vessel, the type of maintenance needed, and how long the ship stays in the dock.”
He further explained that ship maintenance is either periodic or annual. “For periodic checks, done every five years, you must open and inspect all the critical components. Annual checks are like routine servicing,” he added.
Unfortunately, despite high expectations when the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy was created, Adewunmi said nothing has changed.
“In the last two years, nothing has happened. When the government created that ministry, we had hope. But today, that hope is gone. Nothing is being done to help shipowners,” he lamented.
Also speaking, the President of the Nigerian Chamber of Shipping, Aminu Umar, said Nigerian shipowners spend between $1.5 million and $2 million every two and a half years on repairs in places like Ghana, Senegal, and Namibia.
“There are about 552 vessels that go for dry docking every two and a half years. That means every year, at least 150 to 200 vessels need dry dock services,” Umar stated.
He added that some shipowners still use facilities like Nigerdock, but others prefer Senegal, which can handle larger vessels.
Umar called on the Federal Government to build standard dry-docking facilities. “We have the highest number of registered vessels in West Africa. We also receive the most cargo traffic along the Atlantic side of Africa. Both local and foreign vessels can benefit from local dry docks if the government acts.”
He also complained about rising port charges. “There’s now a 15% increase in shipping dues. This makes our ports more expensive and pushes cargo to other countries.”
Another shipowner, Ayorinde Adedoyin, said the dry-docking cost varies with the size of the vessel and the kind of work done. “The last time I dry-docked in Cameroon, it cost me about $600,000 to $1 million. You also lose some parts from your vessel after dry-docking.”
He mentioned extra costs like fuel, crew salaries, and the risk of stolen parts as further reasons Nigerian shipowners are frustrated.
The stakeholders all agree: Nigeria must act fast to stop losing billions to other countries and create a friendly environment for maritime investments.
