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The governor of Nigeria's Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has commended the promoters of Lekki Deep Sea Port project, Lekki Port LFTZ Enterprise Limited for the extent of work done to date on the construction of the deep sea project.

Mr Sanwo-Olu spoke during a visit to the Lekki Deep Sea Port site on 19th March 2021. He stated that the progress made towards meeting the completion deadline for completion of the port had been made possible by the rapid progress of construction work by China Habour Engineering Company (CHEC), the contractors on the project.

The governor noted that CHEC and Tolaram had demonstrated a high sense of capability and commitment. They’ve done this by keeping to the construction schedule and ensuring that the construction is now 47% despite the pandemic. 

“We are really excited about the level of work done as we have seen here. What we have seen is actually encouraging. This project is going to transform the way we do commerce. With the completion of the project, turnaround time will be faster; the movement of goods will be cheaper, we can see businesses booming, and ease of doing business will be improved,” Mr. Sanwo-Olu said. 

In his own remarks during the visit, the Managing Director of Lekki Port, Mr Du Ruogang assured the Governor and his team of the commitment of the company and CHEC in its capacity as EPC Contractor to deliver the port as scheduled.

“I am excited to lead the team to work on this project. Within the last 3 months, we have made a lot of progress not only on the funding but also on the construction work. This is a demonstration of China’s commitment to the development of Nigeria’s economy. We are trying our best to start commercial operations before the end of 2022,” Du said.

The Lekki Port and free trade zone is part of Nigeria’s goal to capture regional trade in a region with poor infrastructure but has a strong potential for growth. When it’s complete, the Lekki port will be able to accommodate the top-rated “ultra-large” ships and be able to transport more than 14,500 containers. 

[Lekki Port @ Lagos Free Zone | Courtesy, Lagos Free Zone]

The current trend for container ships to become even larger and heavier has forced ports to evolve. Ports now have to compete with deeper navigation channels, more sophisticated cranage, and longer wharves. Once it’s completed, Lekki Port will be able to fit the description of a modern port. 

The port is being constructed on 90ha of 830ha of the Lagos Free Zone created in 2012. Tolaram Group, a Singaporean company, is planning a $2bn investment in manufacturing and logistics facilities in the Free Zone. 

The $1.5bn costs of the first phase of the port are being part-financed by a $629m loan from the China Development Bank. 

Top Photo: Progress Photo of the Lekki Deepsea Port (Courtesy, Lekki Port)