Background

Tincan Island Port located north-west of Lagos port complex and is the second busiest in Nigeria after Lagos Port Complex. Tincan island port (TCIP) is located in Apapa, seven kilometers due west of the center of Lagos across Lagos Harbor. It has become a haven for investors due to its unique features including water supply and bunkering. The port handles diversified cargoes with each terminal operator specializing in different forms of cargo. The port handles vessels ranging from 100m – 260m and can handle ships of about 30,000tonnes.

Ports are catalysts for economic development as they enable trade and support supply chains. Port investments have economic benefits that can be direct, indirect, or induced. In today’s global commerce, maritime transport plays an important role in being many nations’ major gateway for international trade. It is a good instrument for measuring the economic health of a nation. The ports have considerable influence on the volume and conditions of trade and the capacity for the economic development of developing nations. The efficient movement of goods is crucial to economic growth. In developing countries, the lack of proper infrastructure, including ports, can mean the difference between sustainable progress and persistent under-development. In Nigeria, a greater percentage of international trade is routed through the sea due to the country’s huge population. Hence, the country’s ports are increasingly challenged to meet the pressure mounted by the movement of ships and cargo in and out of the ports.

 The supply of adequate fresh water is critical to port operations due to the various use of this water at the port for vessels at berth, midstream or offshore, as well as for other important purposes at the port and onboard the vessels. Therefore, the importance of a functional and efficient water treatment plant and ancillary infrastructure that will facilitate the seamless supply and distribution of water at the port cannot be overemphasized.