Lekki Deep Seaport Takes Delivery of 3 STS Cranes, 10 RTG, Records First Vessel Berthing

• Equipment critical to commencement of operations at Lekki Deep Seaport- Bello-Koko

The Lekki Deep Seaport at Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos on Friday received 3 state-of-the-art Ship To Shore (STS) Cranes and 10 Rubber Tyred Gantries (RTG).

At the Seaport to witness the arrival of the equipment was the Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Mohammed Bello-Koko, and some of the authority’s management team.

An elated Bello-Koko at the ceremony said, “the successful delivery today of these three (3) state-of-the art Ship to Shore (STS) Cranes and ten (10) Rubber Tyred Gantries (RTG) are very important equipment which are critical to the commencement of operations at the Lekki Deep Seaport, is historic as it moves us a step closer to birthing Nigeria’s first Deep Seaport and also demonstrates our readiness to take trade facilitation a notch higher”

“The commitment of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) to providing every support necessary to place Nigeria on the global list of countries with Deep Seaports is unflinching. This is why matters related to the operationalization of Lekki Deep Seaport before the end of this year have been placed on top priority.”

The MD used the opportunity to express NPA’s appreciation to President Muhammadu and the Federal Ministry of Transport for the support. He said, “let me seize this moment to specifically appreciate His Excellency President Muhammadu Buhari and the Federal Ministry of Transportation for the tremendous backing the NPA has enjoyed leading to this historic exercise”.

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Bello-Koko further said, “For us at the Nigerian Ports Authority the coming on stream of Lekki Deep Sea Port symbolizes a lot of positives. Apart from being Nigeria’s first Deep Seaport, Lekki Port will also be the first fully automated port at take-off. This provides an insight into the path we are already toeing as a management team to govern the operationalization of not just the forthcoming Badagry, Ibom and Bonny Deep Seaports, but also of the reconstruction of the aged Tin-Can Port, where work is set to commence once we secure the necessary approvals from the Federal Ministry of Transportation and FEC respectively.

“Let me reiterate that automation remains the most veritable tool for assuring Port efficiency, and as most of us are aware, the NPA is working assiduously under the technical guidance of the International Maritime Organization to deploy the Port Community System (PCS), which will enable us to respond squarely to the dictates of global trade facilitation and optimize the opportunities of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement to which Nigeria is a signatory.

“Our strategic intent of becoming the maritime logistics hub for sustainable ports services in Africa rests heavily on how well we are able to deepen our efficiencies through a construction of deep seaports in order to leverage the concomitant benefits of economies of scale.”