Nigeria's First Deep Seaport Opens for Operation

On Monday, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari inaugurated the iconic Lekki deep seaport in the state of Lagos for operation, noting that the new maritime facility opens a new vista of economic development for this African country.

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Constructed by the China Harbor Engineering Company Ltd., the Lekki Deep Sea Port is the first deep seaport in Nigeria, and one of the biggest in West Africa.

At a banquet held by the Lagos state government on Monday night, Buhari said the completion of the project was driven by his vision to "bequeath a legacy of poverty elimination through the provision of job-creating infrastructure."

Emphasizing there are now limitless opportunities for the country's exports, especially agro-allied products in the international marketplace, growth of local jobs, and increase in foreign exchange inflow, Buhari said he "placed all matters related to the operationalization of Lekki deep seaport on top priority."

With an investment in excess of US$1 billion, the deep seaport is a commercial project of cooperation between China, France and Nigeria. The construction of the port commenced in June 2020 and was completed in October 2022. It is designed to handle 1.2 million standard containers annually.

Equipped with state-of-the-art technology, such as biometric scanners and facial recognition systems, the port is expected to also improve security and efficiency, and streamline the clearance of cargo.

Aside from unlocking the country's economic potential, the new port will also create thousands of direct and indirect jobs in Nigeria as it begins operation, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, governor of Lagos State, said.