APA - Lagos (Nigeria) About 51 ships, including 23 tankers are competing for berthing spaces at Nigeria’s Lagos ports as activities at the ports attain the usual annual peak due to the upcoming Christmas and New Year festivities in the country, APA learns on Saturday.

The tankers are laden with kerosene, diesel, lubricating oil and petrol while the other 28 ships are laden with vehicles, general cargo, bulk cement, bulk sugar and fresh fish.

Port operators said on Saturday in Lagos that the high ship traffic was due to the yuletide period, which is regarded as a peak period for importation every year in Nigeria.

Despite the apparent congestion building up at the Lagos ports, about 138 ships are scheduled to berth at the ports with various commodities this month.

The shipping position released in Lagos on Saturday shows that among the goods expected at the ports are containers and vehicles, both new and fairly-used.

The other commodities in the ships include bulk malt, bulk cement, butane gas, bulk urea, steel products, bulk wheat, caustic soda, petroleum products, general cargo, palm oil, rice and fish.

According to the shipping position, of the 138 ships expected, the Lagos Port Complex (LPC) will host 80 ships, while the Tin-Can Island port will host 38 ships.