The inaugural APM Terminals-West Africa Container Terminal (APMT-WACT) Super Cup began with great fanfare on Monday, November 25, 2024, at the WACT Football Pitch, Onne Port. The opening ceremony set the stage for a spirited tournament, reflecting the camaraderie and collaboration that define Nigeria’s maritime industry.
The event welcomed a distinguished array of dignitaries, industry leaders, and enthusiastic supporters, highlighting the unifying power of sports. Among the notable attendees were the Port Manager, Onne Port, Raymond Abdulrahman Hussain, represented by Traffic Manager, Surajudeen Abolade; Customs Area 2 Comptroller, Comptroller Mohammed Babandede; Commander of the Navy Training School, Onne, Commodore Gideon Kachim; and the Chairman of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Mike Ibeatu, alongside representatives from participating organizations.
In his welcoming address, WACT-APM Terminals Managing Director, Jeethu Jose, emphasised the importance of the tournament in fostering collaboration among stakeholders who work together daily at the port.
“This particular day means a lot to us. We have been trying to work on this for the last six months where we wanted to start bringing everyone together. We work with each agency every day and there is a lot of synergy that needs to happen to move a box in our port here. We hope that by bringing all this together, we build further synergies together. And we also have a little bit of fun in that process,” Mr. Jose said.
Similarly, Innocent Ogbuji, WACT-APM Terminals General Manager, Government and Public Relations, underscored the initiative’s focus on unity and engagement.
“Before now, we have been engaging with our stakeholders and government agencies in different forms, but we felt we could do more, something outside the box. We tred to look at what we could do and in Nigeria, as a country, we know that football is something that unites us together. When playing, everybody is one. We felt we could do this to get us to work more together. So, this tournament is not all about competition, it is about getting us together, closer as people who work in the port as one family,” Ogbuji stated.
Commending WACT on the initiative, Comptroller Mohammed Babandede, Customs Area Controller, Port Harcourt Area 2 Command, described the tournament as an innovative tool for enhancing inter-agency collaboration.
“It has always been our character in the Customs to always use an avenue where we establish or create collaboration amongst the agencies and engage our partners so that we would have a better understanding. It also means that we are using this tool to establish inter-agency cooperation. Apart from that, we create a bigger bond between us, not as stakeholders but as partners,” he said.
The Port Manager, Onner Port, Raymond Abdulrahman Hussain, represented by Traffic Manager, Surajudeen Abolade; the Commander of the Navy Training School, Onne, Commodore Gideon Kachim, and other dignitaries also lauded WACT-APM Terminals for the initiative, noting the unifying power of sports.
The opening matches did not disappoint, delivering high-energy performances and enthusiastic support from spectators. The first game saw Team WACT triumph over Team NDLEA with an impressive 7-2 victory. Despite an early lead by NDLEA, WACT’s resilience secured them a decisive win. The second match showcased Team MWUN (Haulage Unit) dominating Team Immigration with an 11-0 victory, setting a competitive tone for the tournament.
Featuring 10 teams divided into two groups from across Onne Port and the Oil and Gas Free Zone, the competition will continue daily until December 6, 2024. The tournament aims to celebrate sportsmanship while reinforcing WACT-APM Terminals Nigeria’s commitment to fostering unity and engagement within the maritime community.
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