First transshipment vessel calls at Lekki port

By Abiodun OBA

The first transshipment vessel, CMA CGM RIMBAUD, called at the container terminal of Lekki Deep Sea Port.

The Managing Director, Lekki Deep Sea Port, Du Ruogang, announced the arrival in a statement in Lagos.

The vessel, Ruogang said, arrived at approximately 1.00 p.m. on June 29, and contains cargo from two of the largest container shipping lines in the world, CMA CGM and Maersk.

“The service originated from the Far East, passing through Shanghai, Ningbo, Shekou, Nansha, Tanjung Pelpas, Singapore to Kribi, Cameroun, before finally arriving at Lekki Port this afternoon.

“The vessel is carrying 411 Twenty-foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) of transshipment cargo and has a nominal container handling capacity of 6,900 TEUs,” he said.

Ruogang expressed his appreciation to the Federal Ministry of Transportation and the Nigerian Ports Authority for supporting and ensuring the start of transshipment activities at Lekki Port.

Also, Chief Operating Officer, Lekki Port, Mr Laurence Smith, noted that all regulatory agencies operating at the port, particularly the Nigerian Customs Service worked together with Lekki Port and the container terminal operator, Lekki Freeport Terminal, to ensure a hitch-free arrival of the vessel and processing of cargo.

“Lekki Port, with its state-of-the-art Ship to Shore cranes and sophisticated scanners, is now poised to position Nigeria as the preeminent transshipment hub of West Africa.

“The transhipped cargo will be departing for Cotonou, its final destination, on July 6,” he said.

Transshipment involves the movement of goods from one ship to another.

The Lekki Port LFTZ Enterprise Limited (LPLEL) is the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) that the Nigerian Ports Authority awarded the Concession Agreement for the development and operations of the Lekki Deep Sea Port.

LPLEL is required to develop, build and operate a common user multipurpose port.