The new Lekki Deep Sea Port is a game changer that will redefine maritime activities in Nigeria and the entire West African sub-region, Premium Times newspaper reported, citing  Lekki Port LFTZ Enterprise L imited Managing Director Du Ruogang.

Nigeria opened the facility on Monday, which is envisioned to address port congestion issues in the country.

The port will boost Nigeria’s gross domestic product (GDP) and facilitate trade volume, Ruogang said during the official inauguration of the Lekki Port.

Other benefits include the improvement of external trade competitiveness through enhanced port efficiency, cost-effective port operations and services, and faster turnaround time for cargo handling and clearance.

The port will help reduce delays in the supply of raw materials, equipment and importation costs, such as demurrage.

Lekki Freeport Terminal CEO Denrick Moos noted that the facility will become a new-generation container terminal in Nigeria and West Africa due to its modern infrastructure.

Nigeria’s first deep sea port is equipped with 13 quay cranes for a capacity of 2.5 million -twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) on a 1.2-kilometre quay with a depth of 16 meters. 

The facility will operate vessels with a capacity of up to 15,000 TEUs and become one of the largest in West Africa, the newspaper said.

(Editing by Cleofe Maceda; cleofe.maceda@lseg.com)