Lekki Deep Seaport will work towards recovering the country transship cargo loss to other neighbouring West African countries, the management has revealed.
The new port, which has invested close to $100m in the acquisition of terminal and cargo handling equipment, has the needed equipment and the draft to recover transship cargo bound for landlocked neighbouring countries.
The Chief Commercial Officer of Lekki Freeport Terminal, Kehinde Olubi-Neye, said this recently during a tour of the port facility.
He also said that the port will serve as a trans-shipment port for cargoes going to eastern ports.
“The port will also play a role in the uptake of cargo in the eastern ports, which is why they are currently having discussions on moving containers discharged at Lekki port by barge to the eastern ports of Calabar, Warri, and Onitsha River Port among others to help increase the economy of those ports.”
On cargo evacuation from the port, Olubi-Neye said Lekki Port operated an automated system that was linked to the automated gate with the vehicle booking system where truck drivers were required to book appointments in advance.
“This also supports the initiative of the Lagos State Government in regard to the comprehensive call-up system for the Lagos Free Zone, Lekki Port, Dangote Free Zone, Dangote Refinery and the Pinnacle Oil and Gas. We are in active discuss, andions with the Lagos State Ministry of Transport and other stakeholders on the deployment of the call-up system for the Lekki area and we have confidence that the coming onboard of the call-up system for trucks will address any concerns that prospective port users would have over access to the port,” he said.
He said that Lekki port was also exploring the possibility of moving cargo by barges and had been able to execute more than five barge movements of over 900 twenty-foot equivalent units of containers from Lekki port to the Ikorodu area of Lagos.
He further disclosed that the port had completed a truck park very close to the port that had the capacity to accommodate 150 trucks.
The Chief Executive Officer of Lekki Freeport Terminal, Yann Magarian, said the port would shape the maritime economy of the country.
“This port can do a lot for Nigeria in terms of revenue and job creation,’’ he said.
