Lekki Deep Seaport hits 50% operational capacity

The Lekki Deep Seaport said it has reached almost half of its designed operational capacity, with steady month-on-month growth in container throughput since September.

The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Lekki Port LFTZ Enterprise Limited, Mr Wang Qiang, disclosed this on Tuesday while addressing journalists during an end-of-the-year media parley at the port.

Speaking during the parley, Wang reiterated that the port is now operating at close to 50 per cent capacity. He added that the development reflects increasing confidence by shipping lines and cargo owners in Nigeria’s first deep seaport.

“We already reached almost 50 per cent of our port capacity now,” he said. Wang noted that there is a consistent improvement in the number of twenty-foot equivalent units handled monthly.

He emphasised that efficient multimodal connectivity remains critical to sustaining and accelerating growth at the port. According to him, barge operations have become an important evacuation channel.

Wang stated that the ongoing Lagos–Calabar Coastal Road project would help ease congestion and improve access to the port.

He stressed that rail connectivity remains essential, particularly given the scale of industrial activities emerging within the Lekki corridor.

“I believe the train option is something the government is concerned about, and with the level of industrial activities in this region, we expect that it will be provided,” he said.

While reiterating that Lekki Port is a fully automated terminal, Wang noted that delays may persist until all stakeholders, including government agencies, fully align with end-to-end digital processes.

He explained that customs procedures, particularly physical cargo examinations, and other port services must be fully digitalised to significantly reduce cargo dwell time. “We must work together very closely with customers and all categories of operations for automation to yield results,” he said.

Wang mentioned that integration between the customs system, the terminal operating system, and customers is already part of an agreed implementation schedule.

“For automation to work efficiently, all players must be ready—customers, government, and every stakeholder. Only then can we have a fantastic system,” Wang added.

He also stressed that improved connectivity would allow the port to effectively double capacity through performance optimisation without expanding its physical footprint.

The Lekki Deep Seaport is Nigeria’s first deep-sea port and one of the largest maritime infrastructure projects in West Africa. It is located at Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos State, within the Lagos Free Zone, along the eastern axis of Lagos.

The media tour included visits to the customs examination area, scanners, and shipside operations within the terminal.