The Business and Maritime Writers Association of Nigeria (BUMWAN) has honoured WACT with an excellence award in recognition and appreciation of its giant strides and commitment to efficient service delivery at the port.
The ‘BUMWAN Maritime Pillar Award of Excellence’ was conferred on WACT on Tuesday in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
The Sales Manager of WACT, Chika Umeh, who represented the Managing Director, Naved Zafar, at the event, made a presentation on the prospects and challenges of port operations in Nigeria.
“We operate an all-inclusive terminal where 90% of our employees are indigenes of our host communities. We continue to train, reskill and upskill all our employees on the job. Through our strategic CSR programmes such as the WACT Annual Scholarship for Tertiary Institutions and Mentorship Programme, we also support the leadership development of Nigerian youths,” he said.
He said major challenges facing port operators include insecurity, fluctuations in forex rates, dilapidated port access roads and epileptic power supply, among others.
WACT, which is owned and operated by APM Terminals, started commercial operation in 2006. It is the first Greenfield container terminal in Nigeria to be built under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model. The terminal is located within the Oil and Gas Free Zone in Onne Port, Rivers State. Over the years, it has grown to become the most efficient gateway to markets outside the Lagos area.
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