Vincent Toritseju
Lagos — The Managing Director of Lekki Port LFTZ Enterprise Limited, LPLEL, promoters of the Lekki Deep Sea Port, Mr. Du Ruogang, has said the port will facilitate trade volume growth for Nigeria and increase the Gross Domestic Product, GDP, as part of the macro-economic benefits to the economy.
Speaking on the sidelines of the commissioning of the Lekki Deep Seaport by President Muhammadu Buhari in Lagos, Ruogang said that Lekki Port remained a game-changer that would redefine maritime activities in Nigeria and the entire West African sub-region and that it is scheduled to commence operations by the end of the first quarter of this year.
He highlighted its other benefits to include improvement of external trade competitiveness through improved port efficiency, cost-effective port operations and services, and improved turnaround time for cargo handling and clearance, a reduction in delays in the supply of raw materials and equipment, as well as reduced costs of importations and charges such as demurrage, among others.
“With Lekki Port, Nigeria will witness a growth in maritime traffic and global trade and strengthen connectivity and capability to provide efficient and reliable services. Lekki Port, no doubt, will be a critical engine that will drive the Nigerian economy upon commencement of operations. I am equally confident that it would help to reinforce Nigeria’s status as a regional maritime hub and enable many related industries to flourish,” he said.
The CEO of Lekki Freeport Terminal, operated by CMA Terminals, a subsidiary of the CMA CGM Group, Mr. Denrick Moos, noted that in addition to its state-of-the-art infrastructures, Lekki Port will become a new generation container terminal, a game changing infrastructure in Nigeria and West Africa.
The port is Nigeria’s first deep seaport and is equipped with 13 quay cranes for a capacity of 2.5 million TEUs (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units) on a 1.2 kilometre quay with a depth of 16 metres, it will operate vessels with a capacity of up to 15,000 TEUs and become one of the largest in West Africa.
Through the new container terminal at Lekki Port, the CMA CGM Group will further develop its presence in Nigeria, the continent’s largest economy and population, and the most important consumer market in West Africa and will consolidate its African global shipping and logistics network.
Committed to supporting its customers’ supply chains in Nigeria and West Africa with a comprehensive range of shipping and logistics solutions, the CMA CGM Group also participates in strengthening the region’s logistics and ports infrastructures through significant investments as a global port operator with its subsidiary CMA Terminals.
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