Rotimi Amaechi, Nigeria’s Minister of Transportation paid his second visit to Lekki Port this year to appraise the status of the construction of the Port and assess the steps taken by management for operational readiness.
The Minister, accompanied by the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Transportation, Dr. Magdalene Ajani; the Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Mr. Mohammed Bello-Koko; the Director-General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr Bashir Jamoh; Chief Executive Officer of Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC) and a host of directors, general managers and officers, commended the progress of work at the Port site while encouraging the management to keep up the momentum.
“I am impressed with the level of work compared to the last time I came here. Things have gone forward. Today, I can see several facility buildings have sprung up, including the 16MW power plant, stacking areas, and jetties under construction. The promoters have taken the Port to a 14.8m depth at the quay & 16.5m at the fairway buoys,” he said.
Amaechi also stated that the Lekki Deepsea Port is estimated to contribute about $360b to Nigeria’s GDP over the 45-year concession term of the project, explaining the multiplier effect of the investment in and around the Port would create enormous economic activities and jobs.
Speaking during the project site tour, Du Ruogang, the Chief Executive Officer, Lekki Port, , assured the Minister that everything is going according to schedule to deliver the Port for the start of operations
Laurence Smith, Chief Operating Officer, Lekki Port, informed the Minister and his entourage that 15 purpose-built Rubber Tyre Gantry (RTG) cranes are being fabricated for Lekki Port. Similarly, five ship-to-shore cranes are ready for shipment and will be arriving at the Port in June 2022.
Denrick Moos, Chief Executive Officer, Lekki Freeport Terminal (the container terminal operator of the Port), explained that the terminal operating system is being put in place. He explained that terminal operations training will start in April 2022.
All these efforts, he noted, are geared towards smooth take-off of port operations later this year.
The majority shareholders, China Harbour and Tolaram, were represented by Jay Zhang and Navin Nahata, respectively, while the Chief Executive Officer of the Lagos Free Zone, Dinesh Rathi, was also in attendance.