APM Terminals expands barge capacity, dedicates lanes for non-oil exports

APM Terminals Apapa, Nigeria’s largest container terminal by volume, has expanded its barge capacity to accommodate more volumes of non-oil exports.

This was made known at the second edition of its Exporters Forum held in Lagos last week with representatives from shipping lines, barge operators, and key exporters in attendance.

Caroline Aubert-Adewuyi, chief commercial officer of APM Terminals Nigeria, said the feedback from the previous forum enabled APM Terminals to improve service offerings by expanding barge slots, creating a new booking app, and enhancing rail services for smoother logistics.

Read also: APM Terminals Apapa promotes sustainable practices with recycling of tyres

“This forum is an opportunity to hear feedback from our customers and to continue building products that will help the exporters grow their business and Nigeria exports,” she said.

Courage Obadagbonyi, chief financial officer of APM Terminals Nigeria, pointed out the importance of non-oil exports in driving foreign exchange, job creation, and reducing inflation, particularly in light of fluctuating global oil prices.

“APM Terminals Apapa is committed to advancing the Federal Government’s economic diversification efforts by promoting non-oil exports. We have recorded a 25 percent increase in non-oil export throughput, handling 51,000 TEUs in the first half of 2024 compared to 47,000 TEUs in the same period of 2023,” Obadagbonyi said.

He called for further investments in transport infrastructure, streamlined export procedures, and higher-quality products to increase Nigeria’s non-oil export potential.

Also speaking, Riyaz Melekolangath, head of Operations at APM Terminals Apapa, said an extended gate access and dedicated export lanes have been created to improve turnaround time for export containers.

Industry leaders who attended the event praised APM Terminals for its responsive export processes and focus on reducing carbon emissions through rail transport, positioning the terminal as a key player in Nigeria’s export growth.

“We need exports to balance our trade. We don’t want vessels coming and going without taking any cargo. We need to promote and enhance our capacity in export.

“APM Terminals have started taking our concerns into consideration, goods are now getting to the terminals on time and barging processes have become seamless,” Olabunmi Olumekun, president of the Barge Operators Association of Nigeria (BOAN), said.

Read also: APM Terminals CEO encourages students to build careers in maritime

Jetson Nwankwo, managing director of Bueno Logistics Limited, lauded APM Terminals for promoting rail lines’ use to evacuate cargo from the port.

“It has been proven that the carbon emission of trains is less than that of trucks. If you calculate it by using 10 dollars per pound of carbon, you will discover that APM Terminals can have a carbon credit award to offset other expenses.

“If APM Terminals get some carbon credits, they can lower the rates they give on demurrage, storage, or handling charges as the case may be,” he said.

Since its concession in 2006, APM Terminals has transformed the Apapa container terminal into a modern and efficient facility, increasing capacity from 200,000 TEU per annum to 1.2 million TEUs.

The company has invested $438 million (over N700 billion) in port infrastructure development, information technology upgrades, and modern cargo handling equipment.