Cooke achieves success in Nigerian port concession bid

Former Durban port captain rides West African waves TERRY HUTON THEY SAY you can’t keep a good man down. Remember Derrick Cooke? Durban’s former Durban port captain couldn’t remain out of the limelight for long, and earlier this month he had the pleasure of seeing several months of hard work and initiative succeed in West Africa. Cooke was headhunted by a locally based Nigerian company, ENL Consortium, to prepare a concession bid for several port terminals in Nigeria, following the decision by the West African state to concession all the port terminals. More than 200 companies initially took part, although this number has been subsequently thinned down to something more manageable. Among the survivors are the leading international terminal operators. Of three terminals so far awarded, Cooke’s ENL was granted preferred bidder status for not one but two breakbulk terminals known as C and D in the port of Lagos. Danish firm AP Moller achieved preferred bidder status for the Lagos container terminal. In terms of the rules ENL will have to relinquish either C or D because in the interests of free competition each operator is only allowed one terminal in each port. Cooke, who has continued living in Durban, told FTW that the final signing of contracts was due to take place at the end of March. “They want us to move in at the end of April but that’s too soon - I’ve advised ENL to insist on three months notice.” Cooke is currently considering a request that he remain with ENL as general manager, which he says he is prepared to do but only for a limited period of 6 or 9 months. After that it will be back to Durban and further challenges.