The promoters of Lekki Port and Lekki Freeport Terminal have said the Port has invested over $100 million in equipment, and would begin transshipment of cargoes in the coming weeks
They said the move would see Nigeria recover lost cargoes from neighbouring West African countries.
The Chief Commercial Officer, Lekki Freeport Terminal, Kehinde Olubi-Neye, who disclosed this during a chat with newsmen in Lagos, assured that the port has the technical capacity, draft and state-of-the-art equipment to recover transship cargoes bound for landlocked countries.
“The opportunity is to explore transshipment of cargoes to other regional countries in Africa.
“We are in the process of transshipment with the support of Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) when the first transhipment vessel arrives in the coming weeks.
“The Lekki Freeport Terminal has discussed with stakeholders, Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and they are confident that recovering transshipment cargoes not just for the hinterland but also for landlocked countries and other regional countries will be back in the country.
“We are here to connect global maritime trade into Nigeria, and that is why we have the deepest draft here. We do not have this draft anywhere else in Lagos and arguably, in some of the West African countries as well,
“We are not here to compete with other ports but to render services to the Nigerian people. The volume of cargoes coming into the port is low at the moment, but vessels are already using the ports”, he said.
Olubi-Neye said the port has also seen the opportunity to play a role in the uptake of cargo in the eastern port, saying that is why they are currently having discussions on moving containers discharged at Lekki Port by barge to Calabar, Warri, and Onitsha River Port, among others, to help increase the economy of those ports.
The Commercial Officer said the port is exploring the possibility of moving cargo by barges, and has been able to execute more than five barge moves of over 900 twenty-foot equivalent units of containers (TEUs) from Lekki Port to the Ikorodu area of Lagos.
Earlier, the Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Mohammed Bello-Koko, described Lekki Port as a Nigerian project and assured that the NPA would do everything within its powers to grant necessary approvals and provide marine services to the port.
Represented by the Manager, Public Affairs of NPA, Ikechukwu Magarian, Bello said the Lekki Port would shape the maritime economy of the country and called on Nigerians to embrace and promote the port.

The Chairman, Maritime Barge Operators Unit of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN), Mr Olawale Cole, has commended the President General of the Union, Comrade Adewale Adeyanju, for his leadership quality.
He said Adeyanju’s role in MWUN has led to the transformation of the union under his leadership.
Cole, who stated this during an interview with newsmen, described Adeyanju as a transformer who has proven that he has what it takes to take the union to a far greater height.
The Maritime Barge Chairman also congratulated the MWUN President on his emergence as the Deputy President of the Nigeria Labour Congress.
According to him, being a versatile labour man,   Adeyanju will use his new position to further enhance the working relationship between stakeholders and workers in the maritime sector.
He thanked the union’s President General for his generosity, particularly as it affects members of MWUN.

Following the Federal Government’s approval of Ondo Seaport, Minister of State for Transportation, Mr Ademola Adegoroye, has expressed happiness and better years ahead.
The approval was announced after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa.
The Minister’s expression was contained in a statement issued in Akure, by his Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mr Ebenezer Adeniyan, and made available to newsmen.
Adegoroye, who hails from Ondo State, said he feels fulfilled that the Port licence has become a reality.
He said the Ondo Port would cost the private developers the sum of $1,480,465,253 and would be concessioned for a period of 50 years.
On the license, Adegoroye said: “I was graciously appointed Minister by President Buhari about 10 months ago, precisely July 6, 2022.
“My Governor, Elder brother and Leader, Arakunrin Rotimi Akeredolu, gave me one major task. He told me that Ondo State was sending me to Abuja not to make money or facilitate contracts, but simply to get the Federal Government to approve our port and get the port licence.
“On my own, I added the reconstruction of Akure-Ado Road to my task list. I feel fulfilled today that I have delivered on my mandate. God is good.
“I thank God and I appreciate Mr President and members of FEC in particular, my colleague and senior minister in my ministry, Muazu Jaji Sambo, for helping me achieve this feat. I am fulfilled.
“The accruals to the concessionaire and the Federal Government are expected to be $50 billion and $2.6billion, respectively”, he said.
According to him, the projects, which are to be executed through Public-Private Partnership (PPP) arrangements at no cost to the Federal Government, will be financed by the Private firms and to be operated for 45 to 50 years.