Onne Port Records Historic Berthing with 301-Metre Kota Carum Container Ship

The Onne Multipurpose Terminal in Rivers State has recorded a new milestone following the successful berthing of Kota Carum, a 301.43-metre container ship with a capacity of 6,606 twenty-foot equivalent units.

The vessel is the largest to ever berth at the Onne Federal Ocean Terminal.

Kota Carum, which flies the Singaporean flag, is owned by Pacific International Lines, one of Asia’s leading shipping companies.

The vessel berthed at berths 9 and 10 of the Onne Terminal and is scheduled for a 55-hour port stay during which it will discharge 1,250 containers and load 1,619 containers.

The terminal operator, Onne Multipurpose Terminal, announced the development in a statement on Monday describing it as a landmark achievement that confirms Onne Port’s growing status as a major hub for large-scale maritime trade in West Africa.

Chief Operating Officer of OMT, Jim Stewart, said the arrival of Kota Carum underlines the terminal’s capacity to handle vessels of increasing size and complexity.

He noted that the successful call follows last year’s berthing of the Kota Cempaka and signals sustained progress in operational readiness and infrastructure development at Onne Port.

Stewart explained that recent investments in terminal upgrades including new cranes and enhanced cargo-handling systems have improved efficiency.

He added that faster vessel turnaround times and direct calls by large ships help lower logistics costs and reduce dependency on smaller feeder vessels used in transhipment.

He called the event a win not just for the terminal but for the entire Nigerian economy as it reduced freight charges for importers and exporters and increased port revenue generation.

The statement also credited the Nigerian Ports Authority for its role in enabling the terminal to accommodate vessels of this scale.

Stewart urged the Federal Government to prioritise funding for channel dredging to allow even larger vessels access to the port and further expand Nigeria’s maritime trade capacity.

Chief Pilot of Onne Port Yakubu Ezra reaffirmed the readiness of NPA to support such operations stating that the port’s technical team and navigational resources are fully equipped to guide large ships into the terminal safely and efficiently.

The successful berthing of Kota Carum is expected to increase confidence among international shipping lines and strengthen Onne Port’s competitiveness in regional logistics.

With expanding infrastructure and strategic location OMT is positioning itself as a preferred gateway for trade routes connecting Africa to global markets.