Lekki Port, Nigeria’s first deep seaport, has commenced full-scale international transhipment operations to neighbouring West African ports, including Togo, Ghana and Abidjan in Côte d’Ivoire, further positioning itself as a growing maritime hub in the region.
Speaking to reporters in Lagos, Deputy Chief Operating Officer Daniel Odibe disclosed that the $1.5 billion seaport is ramping up operations after handling 287,000 Twenty-foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) in 2024. The port now projects it will process up to 500,000 TEUs by the end of this year about 40% of its total capacity of 1.2 million TEUs.
According to Odibe, “Before Lekki Port, Nigerian-bound cargoes were mostly transhipped through ports in Togo, Ghana or Côte d’Ivoire, adding cost and delays. With Lekki Port now operational, Nigeria is becoming a transhipment centre itself, sending cargo onward to West African ports such as Cotonou, Lome and Abidjan.”
The port has also carried out local trial transhipment within Nigeria, connecting with Onne Port, with plans to extend to other ports including Warri, Calabar and inland terminals like Onitsha and Burutu.
Despite prevailing economic challenges like Naira depreciation and fuel subsidy removal, which affected imports in 2024, 9am News report confirms that Lekki Port has already processed 222,000 TEUs in the first half of 2025 alone.
Odibe stated that the port now receives 10–12 vessels monthly, with vessel turnaround time at 48 hours, truck turnaround at 1 hour 25 minutes, and cargo dwell time currently averaging 16 days.
Lekki Port’s Managing Director, Wang Qiang, represented by Chief Operating Officer Young Qiang, noted that the port will continue to “push the envelope and set the bar higher to uphold its position as West Africa’s deepest seaport.”
According to the leadership, the port will deploy more technology, strengthen partnerships with shipping lines, and improve efficiency to expand its reach across the continent.
The launch of direct transhipment services is expected to cut costs for Nigerian importers, reduce cargo delays and boost regional trade, ultimately contributing to Nigeria’s goal of becoming a key maritime logistics hub in West Africa.
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