Lekki Deep Seaport welcomes first cargo vessel, begins operation in September

The Lekki Deep Seaport in Lagos has welcomed its first cargo vessel, a marine vessel ‘Zhen Hua 28’ from Shanghai, China.

This came just as the management of the port announced that it would start operation fully on September 22.

In a statement on the port’s Twitter handle on Wednesday, the management said work on the project site has now reached a remarkable 91.86 percent.

The statement read: “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 September 22.”

The Managing Director of the Nigerian Port Authority, Mohammed Bello-Koko, who addressed journalists on Friday in Lagos, noted that the successful delivery of the vessel was a testament to the Federal Government’s readiness to place Nigeria on the list of countries with deep seaports across the world.

READ ALSO: Lekki Deep Seaport will inject $360bn to Nigeria’s economy – Amaechi

Bello-Koko said the vessel carried three Super Post Panamax Ship to Shore cranes and 10 Rubber Tyred Gantries.

He said the delivery of the equipment was a demonstration of NPA readiness to take trade facilitation a notch higher, adding that the port was equipped to improve Nigeria’s fortunes in the maritime industry.

The NPA chief said: “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.”

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now