In what could be described as a major boost to the Nigerian maritime sector and international trade, the managements of Lekki Port LFTZ Enterprise Limited (LPLEL), Lekki Freeport Terminal, and the Lagos Free Zone (LFZ) have launched the COSCO, ONE (Ocean Network Express), and ZIM alliance services at Lekki Deep Sea Port.

The launch of the services was signaled by the arrival of the E A Centaurus at Lekki Deep Sea Port on Friday, November 8. The E A Centaurus, with an overall length of 277m and a container handling capacity of 7,000 TEU, is also the largest COSCO vessel to call Nigeria. It docked at the port at about 10:30 a.m.

The Chief Executive Officer of Lekki Freeport Terminal, Christophe Cassang, explained that the launch of the service marks a crucial milestone in the terminal’s development and capacity expansion. He added that the launch of the service demonstrates the company’s commitment to becoming a leading maritime hub in West Africa.

“Through the strategic partnership with global shipping leaders such as COSCO, ONE, and ZIM, we are strengthening our position on the international stage and opening new opportunities for trade and industry in Nigeria and the region. Lekki Freeport Terminal is run by a well-trained workforce, passionate about meeting challenges of the future, and is equipped with the most advanced technology and state-of-the-art infrastructure designed to meet the growing needs of the shipping lines and of our customers,” said Cassang.

In his remarks during the ceremony, the Managing Director of Lekki Port, Du Ruogang, described the launch of the new shipping line services as a true testament to the company’s commitment to Nigeria’s maritime future. Ruogang noted that the berthing of the E A Centaurus marked the first of bi-weekly calls to Lekki Deep Sea Port by COSCO, ONE, and ZIM shipping lines. He described the launch of the COSCO, ONE, and ZIM shipping lines as a symbol of the company’s unwavering dedication to positioning Lekki Port as a transformative force in the Nigerian maritime Industry.

Iheanacho, Muda Yusuf, Agbakoba, to grace PortNews maiden summit

A former Minister of lnterior, Captain Emmanuel lhenacho; former Director General of Lagos Chambers of Commerce and industries, Dr Muda Yusuf and the well-known maritime legal luminary, Olisa Agbakoba, SAN are all expected to grace the maiden summit of PortNews Summit which will come up in December 2024 in Lagos.

Other expected dignitaries at the event includes the Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu as Chief Host, while the Honourable Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, His Excellency, Adegboyega Oyetola is the Special Guest of Honour.

With the theme “Port Reforms and Local Content: Has Nigeria fared Well?”, the summit is expected to pool a gathering of respected economists, ship moguls, respected maritime stakeholders, legal experts and longstanding maritime journalists.

These experts are expected to critically examine, analyse and find answers and recipes to this all important question and ancillary teething problems.

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