The Lekki Deep Seaport, Lagos, on Monday, received the first Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) vessel to visit any Nigerian seaport.
Operated by French shipping giant CMA/CGM, the vessel, named MV SCANDOLA, was received by the Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu. It berthed at the $1.5 billion first deep seaport in Nigeria at 1600 hrs on Monday.
Other dignitaries who received the vessel include the Managing Director of Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Mohammed Bello-Koko; the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), Ukeyima Akutah, represented by the Director of Monitoring and Compliance, Cajetan Agu; the President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, represented by Dr. Adenike Fajemirokun; the Chairperson of Seaports Terminal Association of Nigeria (STOAN), Princess Vicky Haastrup; and the President General of Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN), Adewale Adeyanju, among others.
Speaking at the event, the Lagos State governor disclosed that the accomplishment of Lekki Port in welcoming the largest LNG-powered container vessel, CMA CGM SCANDOLA, within just one year of its operation has enshrined Nigeria as a significant player in global port transactions.
The governor emphasised the transformative role of Lekki Port, stating that the berthing of the vessel put Lagos and Nigeria on the map of global port transactions.
He further said that the vision for the state extended beyond the current achievement, envisioning Lagos as a pivotal hub not only for West Africa but also for Central Africa and potentially Southern Africa in the realm of logistics and container terminals.
The governor also expressed his determination to make Lagos the safest part of sub-Saharan Africa, fostering an environment where businesses thrive and investments are secured.
“I think it’s a big feat. It’s something that we really need to roll out the drums for and be proud of because what this is about is, indeed, putting Lekki Freeport, Lagos, Nigeria into the world’s global logistics marine business.
“This is a business that has been a privilege of a few developed countries in America, Europe, the Far East, and some parts of Africa as well. But now, given the size of the business, they can come to our community.
“The Lekki Freeport and the Lekki Port itself have put and enshrined our name as one of the big movers of port transactions in the world,” he stated.
Speaking earlier, the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, commended Lekki Deep Seaport’s eco-friendly measures.
Oyetola, represented by the NPA MD, was elated with the port for aligning with global efforts to reduce carbon intensity in international shipping.
He further commended Lekki Deep Seaport for not only being Nigeria’s first deep seaport but also the first fully automated port, aligning with international standards.
The minister stressed the imperative of making ports eco-friendly to comply with international regulations, pointing out Nigeria’s commitment to minimising air pollution by transitioning to LNG.
“The Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy is convinced that shipping has a pivotal role to play in global decarbonization efforts. This is why I would like to seize this moment to commend the Management of the Nigerian Ports Authority for complying with the Ministerial directive to take cognizance of the global energy transition in its port modernization project by deliberately factoring in measures that promote energy efficiency.
Apart from its distinctive feature of eco-friendliness, ‘SCANDOLA’ ranks amongst the largest container ships to be calling in West Africa with 15,000 TEUs. Lekki Deep Seaport’s natural depth of 16 metres, added to its multifaceted efficiencies, state-of-the-art equipment, and robust infrastructure, offers a capacity of up to 1.2 million TEUs in this phase 1, positioning the Port to serve as a mega transshipment hub to Nigeria’s neighbouring countries in the Gulf of Guinea and beyond.
“With shipping volumes promising to get higher, forward-looking investments such as the one we are gathered here to celebrate will certainly have a big impact in the long run. The imperative of making our Ports eco-friendly is no fluke. We will continue to support the NPA in its efforts at ensuring stakeholders’ compliance with the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Sulphur Regulation on Nigerian Waterways.”
Also speaking, the Managing Director of Lekki Deep Seaport, Du Rougang, said that the berthing of the vessel is creating a new plan for Nigeria’s ports.
“We want to ensure that Lekki Port plays a major role in the nation’s maritime industry,” he
