Lekki Port: Nigeria Regains N137bn Lost Transit Cargoes

Landlocked countries in West and Central Africa have expressed readiness to start re-routing about N137 billion transit cargoes through the Lekki deep seaport, LEADERSHIP has learnt.

LEADERSHIP reports that in the last 16 years, Nigeria lost 48 million tonnes of transit cargoes to its competitors in West African ports. It was gathered that three million tonnes of transshipment cargoes meant for Niger, Chad and Burkina Faso were being lost annually since 2006 till date.

The losses were, however, due to high charges, lengthy cargo dwell time and poor infrastructure at the various seaports in Nigeria, thereby making Niger Republic to shift to Cotonou Port in Benin Republic and Lome Port in Togo for transshipment of their cargoes.

For instance, Niger Republic shares about 1,500 kilometres of boundary with Nigeria, and with a coastline of about 800 kilometres, Nigerian ports remain the natural gateway for Niger and Chad’s access to the sea. 

Nigerian ports are also nearer to Jibiya (a border town between both countries) than Togo, Benin Republic or Ghana; while Ghana to Niger is about 3,400 kilometres, Lagos to Jibiya in Niger is just 1,300 kilometres.

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However, with the commissioning of Lekki deep seaport by President Muhammadu Buhari, the landlocked countries have expressed readiness to return to Nigeria.

According to them, Lekki port has addressed all the bottlenecks that, hiterto, led them to abandon Nigerian ports for ports in Cotonou Ghana and Lome.

Confirming the return of landlocked countries transit cargoes to Nigeria, the managing director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Mohammed Bello-Koko, said the landlocked countries are intending to use the Lekki Deep Sea Port to move in their cargos via the Dala Inland port in Kano from where such cargos will move to their various countries.

Bello-Koko said that Lekki Deep Seaport has become a model for other up coming ports across the country.

“While sitting here, we already have a certain neighbouring African country that want to move its cargoes from Lagos ports to Dala port in Kano from which they will move the consignment to their country because they see the possibility of a smooth operation and efficiency.”

 “Niger Republic as a country formerly imports their cargoes through Nigerian ports. Mali is also interested and there are other entities in neighbouring countries that are interested in bringing in their cargoes, but ours is to reach out as far as possible.”

Speaking on the seaport, the NPA boss said, “Three, four years ago when we came here, it was just a sand filled area. Construction started about two years ago and today we have commissioned an automated port. We thank the Ministry of Transportation for their support.” He continued, “Lekki Deep Seaport for us is the beginning, Nigerian Ports Authority will be the regulator who will also be responsible for marine services. We have already gone ahead to purchase all the necessary equipment to ensure safe and secured berthing in this port.”

However, the executive secretary, Nigerian Shippers Council, NSC, Emmanuel Jime, said the council will monitor tariff at the Lekki deep seaport in other for the port not to derail in attaining the advantages inhenrent in the port.

According to him, the quality and efficacy of services to be rendered at the port must not only be efficient but cheap.

The council’s boss explained that the Lekki Deep Seaport is also expected to be efficient in its operations, due to the fact that, almost all aspects of its operations would be automated.

He stated that the commencement of Operations of Lekki Port would decongest as well as ease off pressures from other ports in the country, particularly the ones in Lagos, and promote economy of scales through bigger vessels, which would bring goods to its harbor .

Jime disclosed that the Lekki Deep Seaport, because of the high level of its operations’ digitalisation and efficiency, will be cost effective, and ensure that the cost of doing business in it, will not be high as compared to other ports in the country.