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Tag: Lekki Port

  • First commercial vessel berths at Lekki Port

    First commercial vessel berths at Lekki Port

    The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) on Sunday says that the first commercial vessel has berthed at the Lekki Deep Sea Port.

    This is contained on the official Twitter handle of the authority.

    It reads, ”Ahead of the President’s commissioning of @LekkiPort for commercial operations tomorrow, one of the largest container vessels, the CMA-CGM, has berthed at the port.

    “Once more, @NigerianPorts has proven that it is prepared to offer marine services for seamless port operations,” it said.

    President Muhammed Buhari will officially inaugurate the $1.5 billion Lekki Deep Seaport, for commercial operations in Lagos State.

    The Lekki Deep Seaport is a state-of-the-art facility, the largest seaport and one of the biggest in West Africa.

     

  • Lekki Port ready for commercial operations – Official

    Lekki Port ready for commercial operations – Official

    The newly-completed Lekki Deep Seaport is ready for inauguration and for commercial operations.

    Managing Director, Lekki Port Lagos Free Trade Zone Enterprises Ltd. (LPLEL), Mr. Du Ruogang, told a news conference in Lagos on Wednesday that arrangements had been completed for its inauguration by President Muhammadu Buhari.

    “The terminal operator, Lekki Free Port Terminal (LFT) is putting everything in place to give a world-class port experience.

    “All relevant agencies have been sensitised to undertake their roles in the new port,’’ he said.

    Ruogang applauded the media for its support in the port’s success and urged practitioners to extend the same support to the container terminal operator, Lekki Freeport Terminal, as it prepares to begin operations.

    He noted that as the Lagos State Government began work on the construction of access roads to the port, there was the need for more infrastructural development to ensure easy cargo movement.

    He also expressed appreciation to the Federal Government through the Ministry of Transportation and other relevant agencies, including the Nigerian Port Authority (NPA), and the Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC).

    He equally expressed appreciation of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) for its contribution to making the port a reality.

    In his remarks, the Chief Operating Officer, Lekki Port LFTZ Enterprise Ltd. (LPLEL), Mr Laurence Smith, said full commercial operations would begin at the end of the first quarter of 2023.

    He added that the terminal operator, Lekki Free Port Terminal would carry out trial operations once it completed the installation of necessary port equipment and infrastructure.

    Smith hinted that Lekki Port had already opened up discussions with potential operators of the Liquid Berth Terminals, critical to the commencement of the construction of Phase II of the port.

    The LPLEL is the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) that was awarded the Concession Agreement for the development and operations of the Lekki Deep Sea Port by the Nigerian Ports Authority.

    It was required to develop, build and operate a common user multipurpose port.

    The company sub-concessioned the container terminal operations to Lekki Freeport Terminal (LFT), a subsidiary of CMA/CGM, the world’s largest container shipping company.

    Lekki Port is a multi-purpose deep seaport at the heart of the Lagos Free Trade Zone, one of the most modern ports, supporting the burgeoning trade across Nigeria and the West African sub-region.

    The shareholders are the Nigerian Ports Authority, the Lagos State Government, China Harbour Engineering Company, and Tolaram.

  • Lekki port: I’ve instructed NPA to ensure no movement of cargo by road – Sambo

    Lekki port: I’ve instructed NPA to ensure no movement of cargo by road – Sambo

    The Minister of Transportation, Mr. Mu’azu Sambo, has said the Federal Government does not want the repeat of Apapa port at Lekki port over the movement of cargo by road.

    Sambo noted this at the 34th Maritime Reporters’ Association of Nigeria (MARAN) Anniversary and Awards on Friday in Lagos.

    The anniversary was themed: ”16 Years of Port Concession: The Pains and the Gains.”

    Sambo also emphasized the Federal Government would remain committed to policies that would boost the growth and development of the Port Community System.

    “Government is embarking on many projects to help the maritime industry, the Deep Blue Project which will ensure cost of importing cargo into the country is reduced.

    “For the Lekki Deep Port, there is no reason why we should have a replica of Apapa port there and so I have instructed the Nigerian Ports Authority to ensure no movement of cargo by road,” he said.

    Sambo spoke on dockworkers sacked due to port concession in 2006.

    He said that the only set of people that were not paid then were those working for the private sector but were given severance packages.
  • Lekki Port: Nigeria to regain maritime business loss to Togo, Ghana – Lai Mohammed

    Lekki Port: Nigeria to regain maritime business loss to Togo, Ghana – Lai Mohammed

    The Federal Government says with the completion and operation of Lekki Deep Sea Port by September, Nigeria will regain maritime business lost to ports in Togo, Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana.

    The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed said this on Wednesday after a tour of the Lekki Port, with a team of journalists.

    Newsmen reports that the port located in the Lagos Free Zone, Epe is the deepest seaport in Nigeria and West Africa with unique advantages, covering a land area of 90 hectares.

    Mohammed said when the port begins operation in the last quarter of the year, it would be a big boost to Nigeria in its quest to take advantage of the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA).

    He said the port, a Build, Own, Operate and Transfer concern would be a pacesetter and game-changer in the economy landscape of the country.

    “I called it a game-changer because of the impact it will have on the nation’s economy and the jobs it will create among others.

    “The investment is huge: 1.53 billion dollars on fixed assets and 800 million dollars on construction.

    “But the aggregate impact has been put at 361 billion dollars in 45 years, which will be more than 200 times the cost of building it,’’ he said.

    Mohammed said in addition, the port would create 169,972 jobs and bring revenues totalling 201 billion dollars to state and Federal Governments through taxes, royalties and duties.

    He said the direct and induced business revenue impact of the port was estimated at 158 billion dollars, in addition to a qualitative impact on the manufacturing, trade and commercial services sector

    The minister said the port would transform Nigeria into a transhipment hub and the revenue currently being lost to neighbouring countries would come back.

    “As you know, this project is being done in phases. Phase 1 has reached 89 per cent and will be completed in September this year.

    “The facilities here are first class, we have seven ships to shore cranes and 21 RTG cranes.

    “No port in Nigeria currency has this. The excellent equipment is why this port can do 18,000 tons, which is more than four times the number that can currently be handled by our other ports,’’ he said.

    According to Mohammed, the project is self-sufficient in required electricity as it is currently generating 10 mega watts from a total capacity of 16 megawatts

    He said the port was another example of the first-class infrastructure being developed across the country by the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.

    “Whether it is roads, rail, airport terminals, gas pipelines, housing, ports, just name it.

    “And at this stage, I want to appeal to our colleagues in the media to play up these developmental efforts instead of concentrating energy on negativity.

    “That is why we embark on these tours with a large retinue of journalists..

    “Let the world know that Nigeria is not all about kidnapping, terrorism and banditry. It is also about massive developments that are unprecedented,’’ he said.

    Also speaking, the Managing Director of the Port, Mr Du Ruogang said the project which would be completed before the end of the year would change the economic landscape of the country.

    He said that the multi-purpose deep seaport would be one of the most modern ports in West Africa, offering enormous support to the burgeoning commercial operations across Nigeria and the entire West African region.

    Ruogang assured that multiple modern cargo evacuation mechanisms would be put in place at the port to forestall congestion and other challenges being experienced in other ports in the country.

  • Sanwo-Olu reveals Lekki Port as final solution to Apapa Gridlock

    Sanwo-Olu reveals Lekki Port as final solution to Apapa Gridlock

    Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State on Tuesday said that timely completion of Lekki Port would put an end to the intractable Apapa gridlock.

    Sanwo-Olu said this at the Opening Ceremony of the Africa Business Convention, organised by Business Day Newspaper at Victoria Island.

    He said that the completion of Lekki Port would ease the congestion along Oshodi-Apapa Expressway, the port access roads and Apapa environs.

    The governor noted that several measures would be put in place to ensure that Apapa was decongested. The state government needed to change the officials regularly to ensure there was no compromise in services rendered.

    Sanwo-Olu informed that government was committed to delivering the dividends of democracy to residents and had completed iconic projects within the state in the last two and half years.

    He cited infrastructural projects like Lekki Deep Port, 4th Mainland Bridge, Red and Blue line rails. Others are Imota Rice Mills, among others are ongoing or in the pipeline. They are to be completed and become operational within the next 24 months.

    The process leading to the commencement of the construction of the 4th Mainland Bridge, which would start from Badore in Ajah and end in Ikorodu, he said, would be completed before the second quarter of the year.

    ”Lagos is, in addition to being Africa’s most populous megacity, the continent’s premier business and investment destination, and we will continue to do all within our power to remain so.

    ”As I speak, several landmarks, public and private infrastructure and investment projects are underway or nearing completion in Lagos State.

    ”These include the biggest single-train Petroleum Refinery in the world, one of the largest Rice Mills in the world, one of the largest and most modern Deep-Sea Ports on the continent, and West Africa’s biggest Light Rail network.

    ”Within the next 24 months, we expect all of these to be operational.

    ”We are also Africa’s Startup capital, ahead of Nairobi, Cape Town and Johannesburg, in terms of the number of startups and in terms of investment inflows and the size of exits.

    “Flutterwave and Paystack, two of the most prominent African unicorns of the decade, were born here.

    ”In addition, we are home to several major investments ongoing in real estate, like Eko Atlantic on the edge of Victoria Island, and Alaro City on the Lekki Peninsula,” he said.

    The Publisher of Business Day Newspaper, Mr Frank Aigbogun, commended Gov. Sanwo-Olu for the great work done in ridding Apapa of traffic gridlocks and for delivering on his promises to residents.

    ”When we had the interview, which I moderated, hosted by the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry before the elections in 2019, Apapa dominated that conversation.

    ”I don’t know how often you go to Apapa Mr Governor, but I think between 23 and 27 minutes these days, you get Apapa.

    ”So, Mr Governor, I want to acknowledge the work that you have done and to commend you and your team for delivering on your promises,” Aigbogun said.