Lekki Port begins commercial operations

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

The Managing Director of Lekki Port Lagos Free Trade Zone Enterprises Limited (LPLEL), Du Ruogang, made this known at a news conference in Lagos on Wednesday.

Ruogang said arrangements have been completed for the inauguration of the seaport by President Muhammadu Buhari.

He hailed 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.

The LPLEL boss stated 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.

Ruogang 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).

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

In his remarks, the LPLEL Chief Operating Officer, 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.

The Star