Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday inaugurated the 16.5 metres  Lekki Deep Sea Port, Lekki, Lagos State, South-West Nigeria, raising country’s stake higher in the comity of maritime nations.

Buhari is on a two-day state visit dubbed A Festival of Commissioning by an excited Lagos State Government and the seaport’s inauguration was part of the projects listed for commissioning on the first day of his itinerary in the commercial hub.

Overly late for those who had gathered at the venue earlier and had been awaiting his arrival hours on end in the day, the nation’s number one citizen had finally arrived the port in a helicopter alongside his host, Lagos Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, to cut the ceremonial tape at approximately 4:42 PM.

Thereafter, the President proceeded on a brief drive-through inspection of the project.

Speaking after Buhari cut the tape, Sanwo-Olu said that the multi-billion-Naira project was a collaboration between the Federal Government, the Lagos State Government and private sector stakeholders.

Sanwo-Olu described the project as the biggest infrastructure in the whole of West Africa, which, according to him, would surely generate thousands of jobs in Nigeria.

The Governor said that the execution of the milestone project took off under Buhari’s administration and was completed during the President’s tenure.

Sanwo-Olu appreciated Buhari for his commitment to the development of the country and those who contributed immensely to bringing the project to reality.

Prior to the arrival of the President, the State Commissioner for Commerce, Industry and Cooperatives, Mrs Lola Akande, had in a speech said that the Lekki Deep Sea Port would complement other ports in the country.

Akande said that the port would further deepen Lagos’ position as an investment hub in Nigeria.

Speaking on behalf of the host communities, the Onilekki of Lekki, Oba Laisi Ogunbekun, thanked the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for conceiving the Lekki Free Zone, where the port is situated.

The traditional ruler expressed continued support of all members of the Lekki community for development projects in the axis.

In his remarks, the Managing Director of the Lekki Port LFTZ Enterprise Limited (LPLEL), Mr. Du Rougang, thanked the host communities for their cooperation.

Rougang said that the organisation would continue to work with relevant government agencies toward the growth of the economy.

Dignitaries at the event included Minister of Transportation Muazu Sambo, Information and Culture Minister Lai Mohammed, heads of government agencies in the transportation sector, traditional rulers in the Lekki axis and top businessmen.

Meanwhile, promoter of the Lekki Deep Sea Port, LPLEL, says that the port will boost Nigeria’s gross domestic product (GDP) and facilitate increased trade volume.

Addressing journalists on the sidelines of the port’s official inauguration, Ruogang said that the macro-economic benefit of the port was enormous.

Ruogang noted that the Lekki Port remains a gamechanger that would redefine maritime activities in Nigeria and the entire West African sub-region.

He highlighted other benefits to include improvement of external trade competitiveness through improved port efficiency, cost-effective port operations and services, and improved turnaround time for cargo handling and clearance.

He listed other benefits of the port as reduction in delays in the supply of raw materials and equipment, reduction in cost of importations and charges such as demurrage, among others.

“With Lekki Port, Nigeria will witness a growth in maritime traffic and global trade and strengthen connectivity and capability to provide efficient and reliable services.

“Lekki Port, no doubt, will be a critical engine that will drive the Nigerian economy upon commencement of operations. I am equally confident that it will help to reinforce Nigeria’s status as a regional maritime hub and enable many related industries to flourish,” he said.

The Chief Executive Officer of Lekki Freeport Terminal, operated by CMA Terminals, a subsidiary of CMA CGM Group, Mr. Denrick Moos, said that the Lekki Port would become a new generation container terminal, a game changing infrastructure in Nigeria and West Africa in addition to its state-of-the-art infrastructure.

“The port is Nigeria’s first deep seaport and is equipped with 13 quay cranes for a capacity of 2.5 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) on a 1.2 kilometre quay with a depth of 16 metres, it will operate vessels with a capacity of up to 15,000 TEUs and become one of the largest in West Africa.

“Through the new container terminal at Lekki Port, the CMA CGM Group will further develop its presence in Nigeria, the continent’s largest economy and population, and the most important consumer market in West Africa and will consolidate its African global shipping and logistics network.

“Committed to supporting its customers’ supply chains in Nigeria and West Africa with a comprehensive range of shipping and logistics solutions, the CMA CGM Group also participates in strengthening the region’s logistics and ports infrastructures through significant investments as a global port operator with its subsidiary CMA Terminals,” he said.

Governor Sanwo-Olu noted that the project was a big testament to the commitment of the government to support the provision of necessary infrastructure that would improve the economic fortunes of Lagosians by providing thousands of jobs for the people and impacting their lives positively.

On his part, the Chairman of Lekki Port, Mr. Biodun Dabiri, expressed profound gratitude to the President and his team for giving all the necessary backing that ensured the project came to fruition.

He stressed that the port’s management is working round-the-clock to get the complex operational soon.

“We owe a great deal of this success to the visionary leadership of President Buhari, who provided the much-needed support to make the project a reality and appreciate Governor Sanwo-Olu, and all other stakeholders for their role in the actualization of the Port.

“For us, we will continue to be a willing partner in the quest to achieve significant economic growth by investing in Nigeria,” Dabiri said.

Notably, LPLEL is a joint venture enterprise owned by foreign promoters, Lekki Port Investment Holdings Incorporated (comprising China Harbour Engineering Company Limited and Tolaram), the Lagos State Government, and the Federal Government.

LPLEL is incorporated under the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) and licensed by the Lagos Free Zone to operate in the Free Zone under the Nigeria Export Processing Zones (NEPZ) Act, opens a host of benefits for Lekki Port regarding taxes, duties, and other incentives.

A multi-purpose deep seaport at the heart of the Lagos Free Trade Zone, the Lekki Port, one of the most modern ports, is expected to critically support the flourishing trade in Lagos, across the rest of Nigeria and the entire West African region.

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