Lekki Deep Seaport receives first cargo vessel

The successful delivery of three Super Post Panamax Ship to Shore cranes and 10 Rubber Tyred Gantries at the Lekki Deep Seaport is a testament to the unflinching commitment of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) to providing support necessary for placing Nigeria on the global list of countries with deep seaports, Mohammed Bello-Koko, managing director of NPA, has said.

Speaking in Lagos on Friday when he received marine vessel ‘Zhen Hua 28’ the heavy lift carrier that shipped the equipment from Shanghai, Bello-Koko said the equipment are critical for the Lekki Deep Seaport to commence operations before the end of the year 2022.

According to him, the delivery of the above listed equipment is a demonstration of NPA readiness to take trade facilitation a notch higher because the port is equipped to improve Nigeria’s fortunes in maritime trade.

Read also: Lekki deep seaport 96% complete – ICRC

“For us at the Nigerian Ports Authority the coming on stream of Lekki symbolises a lot of positives. Apart from being Nigeria’s first Deep Seaport, Lekki Port will also be the first fully automated port at take-off. This provides an insight into the path we are already toeing as a management team to govern the operationalisation of not just the forthcoming Badagry, Ibom and Bonny Deep Seaports, but also of the reconstruction of the aged Tin-Can Port, where work is set to commence once we secure the necessary approvals from the Federal Ministry of Transportation and Federal Executive Council respectively,” Bello-Koko said.

He said that automation remains the most veritable tool for assuring Port efficiency, which why the NPA is working assiduously under the technical guidance of the International Maritime Organization to deploy the Port Community System that will enable Nigeria respond squarely to the dictates of global trade facilitation and optimise the opportunities of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Agreement to which Nigeria is signatory.

Meanwhile, Lekki Deep Seaport @LekkiPort tweeted on Wednesday Jun 01, 2022 that the level of construction at the port site has now reached a remarkable 91.86 percent.

“We continue to work closely with EPC Contractor, China Harbour Engineering LFTZ Enterprise & Project Management Consultants, Louis Berger International to ensure we stay on track for start of operations by Sept. ’22,” the port management said in the tweet.