Wavesight are proud to have been selected to supply telecommunication equipment to Nigerian Port Authority to provide a comprehensive communications network to support a host of monitoring and security surveillance applications needed to operate major Nigerian ports and harbours, thereby providing a safe channel for cargo handling and storage services.

Requirement

Nigerian Port Authority (NPA) is a government agency that governs and operates the major ports of Nigeria – Lagos Port Complex, Tin Can Island Port, Calabar, Delta, Harcourt and Onne port, which individually and collectively serves as one of the economic corridors to the nation. Given the high stakes involved and levels of investment, site security is a critical issue. Any disruptive event at the ports can have an impact on cargo movement throughout the region.

In order to consolidate and streamline the existing communications and surveillance systems at each port and to further enhance the capabilities of the infrastructure to be supported from a single command and control centre an efficient Metropolitan Area Network had to be established across the major ports of Nigeria.

The Solution

A wireless solution for interconnection of network infrastructure was chosen in this case because of the vast areas to be covered. Laying cables in a commissioned port was not feasible and not an option. The erection of masts to support radio transmission equipment is considered as less disruptive. Lastly, only a wireless network solution could be implemented to connect otherwise unreachable ship entry and exit points. With such an expansive area and high traffic volumes involved, the port sought a robust security solution to secure the premises. A number of international wireless systems providers were considered, but Wavesight were selected following proven expertise, reliability of products and vast knowledge in this sector. Stringent criteria for meeting the global standards of maritime environment were needed for all the equipment and hence Wavesight chose the most appropriate ruggedised equipment, which would provide real-time video, voice, data and radar traffic delivery capable of operating in harsh coastal conditions with low maintenance. The chosen system integrator responsible for this project decided to test the reliability and performance of Wavesight radios over a span of 2 years in a coastal environment. Only after fully satisfying themselves on the quality of our products they went ahead and successfully deployed over 100 microwave radio links in the first phase of the project. In addition to the wireless transceiver products, Wavesight Wireless Solutions provided a range of professional services to ensure that the system was deployed efficiently in order to minimise any operational disruptions. These services included providing assistance in completion of a full and detailed RF site survey, network design, installation and commissioning and training of the security systems integrator partner’s engineers.

Result

Following successful commissioning of the first phase of project, the NPA could monitor ship movement, piloting of ships to the docks and out of docks, assist SOS calls to evaluate risk and provide rescue services – all from a centralised command and control centre. The deployed system is fully scalable with plenty of scope for advanced integrations with the subsequent phases of solutions development.