Lagos: Lekki Port hits 50% capacity as container traffic surges
Lekki Deep Sea Port is operating at close to half of its installed capacity, recording steady month-on-month growth in container throughput since September, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Lekki Port LFTZ Enterprise Limited, Mr Wang Qiang, has said.
Wang disclosed this on Tuesday during an end-of-the-year media parley with journalists, noting that the port is approaching 50 per cent operational capacity, a development he attributed to growing confidence among shipping lines and cargo owners in Nigeria’s first deep seaport.
According to him, container traffic, measured in twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), has shown consistent improvement on a monthly basis, underscoring the port’s increasing role in Nigeria’s maritime trade.
He identified efficient multimodal connectivity as a key factor required to sustain and accelerate the port’s growth, explaining that barge operations have emerged as a critical evacuation channel, currently accounting for about 10 per cent of cargo movement from the facility.
Wang said the ongoing Lagos–Calabar Coastal Road project would significantly improve access and reduce congestion around the port, but stressed that rail connectivity remains indispensable, especially in view of the scale of industrial activities developing within the Lekki corridor.
“I believe the train option is something the government is concerned about, and with the level of industrial activities in this region, we expect that it will be provided,” he said.
Reiterating that Lekki Port is a fully automated terminal, Wang noted that operational delays could persist until all stakeholders, particularly government agencies, fully embrace end-to-end digital processes.
He explained that Customs procedures, including physical cargo examinations, as well as other port services, must be comprehensively digitalised to achieve a significant reduction in cargo dwell time.
According to him, closer collaboration among terminal operators, Customs, customers and other service providers is essential for automation to deliver its full benefits.
He added that integration between the Customs system, the terminal operating system and customers’ platforms is already captured in an agreed implementation timeline.
“For automation to work efficiently, all players must be ready — customers, government and every stakeholder. Only then can we have a fantastic system,” Wang said.
He further noted that improved connectivity and operational efficiency would enable the port to effectively double its throughput capacity through performance optimisation, without the need for physical expansion.
DAILY SUN
