Lekki Port ready for transhipments, adopts electronic call-up system

The promoters of the Lekki Deep Sea Port- Lekki Port LFTZ Enterprise Limited (LPLEL) and the terminal operator-Lekki Freeport Terminal (LFT) have expressed the readiness of the Port for transhipment operations and restore the status of Nigeria as a cargo transhipment hub, especially within the West Africa region.

The Chief Executive Officer of Lekki Freeport Terminal, Mr Yann Magarian, made this known while fielding questions from shipping and maritime editors during a joint media parley organised by the two companies held at the Port in Lagos on Wednesday, May 10, 2023.

According to him, the Port is strategically positioned and well-equipped to help recover the transhipment of cargo lost to neighbouring West African countries and landlocked countries such as Niger and Chad Republic.

“We have had meaningful discussions with all the necessary stakeholders, including Nigerian Ports Authority and the Nigerian Customs Service, and we are confident of recovering transhipment cargo not only for the hinterland but also landlocked countries and other countries in Africa,” he said.

Magarian further noted that Lekki Port is the first Port in the region with sophisticated equipment, such as Ship to Shore (STS) cranes, to handle and discharge cargo from some of the largest vessels in the world. He stressed that the Port is fully automated to the extent that it limits as much human interface as is common with existing ports.

Also speaking during the media parley, the Chief Operating Officer Lekki Port, Laurence Smith, noted that the Lekki Port project remains a watershed in the history of maritime in Nigeria, urging stakeholders, including the media, to continue to lend their support by promoting it.

“This is the gateway to the maritime and beyond. I have not seen any investment like this anywhere other than in Dubai. This port can generate hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue for Nigeria and hundreds of thousands of jobs”, Smith said.

In his remarks, the Chief Commercial Officer, Lekki Freeport Terminal, Kehinde Olubi-Neye, commended the Federal and the Lagos State Governments for their support, especially on the work progress on the network of roads connecting the Port for cargo evacuation.

He disclosed stated that the management of Lekki Port LFTZ Enterprise Limited (LPLEL) and the terminal operator-Lekki Freeport Terminal (LFT), as well as other companies, have been in strategic meetings with the Lagos Ministry of Transportation for a holistic traffic management framework for the entire axis including the deployment of a vehicle booking system that would complement its comprehensive e-call-up system initiative.

Olubi-Neye explained that the automation process at the Port is linked to the automated gate that allows for a vehicle booking system where truck drivers are required to book appointments in advance. He revealed that the Port had completed its truck park with the capacity to accommodate 150 trucks at a time.

Delivering the votes of thanks at the end of the parley, the Executive Director, Lekki Port LFTZ Enterprise Limited (LPLEL) Mrs. Adesuwa Ladoja described the Lekki Deep Sea Port as a project of pride not only for the promoters but for the government and the people of Nigeria. She urged the media to continue supporting the project and to shape and push positive perceptions to boost the investors’ confidence and the port’s success in delivering on its economic potential for the country.

The media parley was also attended by the representatives of all the regulators at the Port, including NPA, NEPZA, The Nigerian Customs Service NDLEA, Nigeria Police, and DSS. All the government agencies present pledged their support and cooperation to the success of the Port.

– as Clearance of Goods from Lekki Port takes 5 to 10 days -Lekki Freeport Terminal.

However, the container terminal operator for the Lekki Deep Sea Port- Lekki Freeport Terminal, a subsidiary of the CMA/CGM Group, has assured shippers of a faster turnaround time for the clearance of goods from the Port, stating that it will take between 5 to 10 days which is fastest compared what is currently obtainable in existing ports across the country.

The Chief Commercial Officer, Lekki Freeport Terminal, Mr. Kehinde Olubi-Neye, disclosed this during a joint media parley by the management of Lekki Deep Sea Port- Lekki Port LFTZ Enterprise Limited (LPLEL) and the terminal operator-Lekki Freeport Terminal (LFT) at the Port on Wednesday, May 10, 2023.

Olubi-Neye explained that the project’s promoters have made significant investments in the automation of the processes to ensure that the needless delays associated with existing ports are drastically reduced.

According to him, the automation process at the Port is linked to the automated gate to allow for a vehicle booking system where truck drivers are required to book appointments in advance. He revealed that the Port has completed the construction of a Truck Park with the capacity to accommodate 150 trucks at a time.

He hinted further that Lekki Port is presently exploring the option of barge operation as means of evacuation of cargo from the port. “We have executed significant barge moves between Ikorodu and Kirikiri. We have done over five barge moves totalling 900 Twenty-foot Equivalent Units of containers (TEUs). We also believe this would allow Lekki Port to play a role in cargo uptake using Eastern ports of Calabar, Onitsha, and Warri,” he added.

Also speaking during the media parley, the Chief Operating Officer Lekki Port, Laurence Smith, noted that the Lekki Port project remains a watershed in the history of maritime in Nigeria, urging stakeholders, including the media, to continue to lend their support by promoting it.

“This is the gateway to the maritime and beyond. I have not seen any investment like this anywhere other than in Dubai. This port can generate hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue for Nigeria and hundreds of thousands of jobs”, Smith said.

Also speaking, Assistant Controller, Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Joseph Ephraim, noted that the agency is entirely on the ground to provide the much-needed support by conducting the necessary checks before the evacuation of cargo at the Port.

Ephraim reiterated the agency’s commitment to collaborate and cooperate with other regulatory agencies to ensure and guarantee the timely evacuation of cargo at the Port.

On his part, the representative of the Managing Director Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA), Ikechukwu Onyemachara, who spoke at the event, said the NPA as a shareholder and regulator, is proud to be associated with the project, assuring the Lekki Port team of its unwavering commitment to supporting the project.

“This is a Nigerian project, and we are very proud to be associated with it. We will fast-track any necessary approval Lekki Port needs and continue to do our best to provide marine services,” Onyemachara said.

Delivering the votes of thanks at the end of the parley, the Executive Director, Lekki Port LFTZ Enterprise Limited (LPLEL), Mrs Adesuwa Ladoja, described the Lekki Deep Sea Port as a project of pride not only for the promoters but for the government and the people of Nigeria. She urged the media to continue supporting the project and to shape and push positive perceptions to boost the investors’ confidence and the port’s success in delivering on its economic potential for the country.

The media parley was also attended by the representatives of all the regulators at the Port, including NPA, NEPZA, The Nigerian Customs Service NDLEA, Nigeria Police, and DSS. All the government agencies present pledged their support and cooperation to the success of the Port.

Lekki Port LFTZ Enterprise Limited (LPLEL) is the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) awarded the Concession Agreement for developing and operating the Lekki Deep Sea Port by the Nigerian Ports Authority. LPLEL is required to create, build and use a common user multi-purpose 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.

LPLEL is a joint venture enterprise owned by foreign promoters, Lekki Port Investment Holdings Inc (China Harbour Engineering Company Ltd. and Tolaram), the Lagos State Government, and the Federal Government of Nigeria through the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA).

LPLEL is incorporated under the Companies & Allied Matters Act regime and licensed by the Lagos Free Zone to operate in the Free Zone under the NEPZ Act. This opens a host of benefits for Lekki Port regarding taxes, duties, and other incentives.

Lekki Freeport Terminal is the only Container Terminal Operator in Nigeria’s only deep seaport, Lekki Port. It is set to become the largest container terminal in Nigeria. The terminal can handle 2.5 million twenty-foot standard containers per year with the opportunity to berth the first ship-to-shore crane in Nigeria.

A multi-purpose Deep Sea Port at the heart of the Lagos Free Trade Zone, Lekki Port is one of the most modern ports, supporting the burgeoning trade across Nigeria and the entire West African region.

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