In a showing of the Lekki Freeport Terminal (LFT), the Executive Director of Lekki Port, Adesuwa Ladoja, Wednesday said the terminal is open and is ready to improve maritime trade.
The LFT serves as the container terminal operator for Lekki Deep Sea Port, which its management promises will help advance Nigeria’s position in global trade.
The LFT’s Chief Commercial Officer, Kehinde Olubi-Neye, addressed the goals the company aimed to achieve by its operations, including recovering transshipment cargo to Nigeria.
“We are confident that [LFT can begin] recovering transshipment cargo not just for the hinterland but also for landlocked countries and other regional countries… back in the country,” Olubi-Neye said.
Olubi-Neye, alongside Ladoja, stressed on how LFT is focused on business and has the capacity to engender cargo transport to-and-from ports in Eastern Nigeria.
According to the terminal management, a major highlight of LFT is that it is run on cutting edge technology and with brand new machinery.
LFT has introduced a Vehicle Booking System which allows trucks to get appointments before coming in.
Olubi-Neye also noted that the LFT compound is secured by a fully automated gate system with 18 gate lanes.
“The human officers in charge of the port terminal’s security points are receiving training from the Nigerian Customs Service,” he added.
According to financial data shared by LFT management, $800 million was spent on terminal construction, while the port is worth $1.53 billion in fixed assets.
In response to why customers, including shippers and freight forwarders, should do business with them, Olubi-Neye assured that the LFT can accommodate two big vessels at once, owing to its large berth.
Olubi-Neye also promised stakeholders that the terminal works with regulatory agencies, including the Nigerian Police and National Drug Law Enforcement Agency.
He also mentioned LFT works together with the Nigerian Ports Authority, Department of State Services, Nigeria Customs Service and the Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority, among others.
The security agencies and government regulatory bodies assured LFT of their continued support.
Lekki (Deep Sea) Port, a Lagos Free Trade Zone Enterprise, was commissioned on January 23, 2023 by President Muhammadu Buhari.
