The $1.5 billion Lekki Deep Seaport has officially positioned Nigeria as a maritime hub in the West and Central African region, with the commencement of international transhipment services to ports in Togo, Benin Republic, Abidjan, and Ghana.
The port, which began commercial operations in 2023, is intensifying efforts to boost throughput from the 287,000 Twenty-foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) handled in 2024 to a projected 500,000 TEUs by the end of 2025.
Speaking with journalists on Thursday in Lagos, the Deputy Chief Operating Officer of Lekki Port, Mr. Daniel Odibe, revealed that the facility is actively targeting additional transhipment opportunities with several West African nations.
Despite having a total installed capacity of 1.2 million TEUs, Odibe disclosed that the port is currently operating at only about 20 percent of its potential cargo volume. He attributed this shortfall primarily to Nigeria’s prevailing macroeconomic challenges, which have adversely affected import activities.
According to him, the combined effect of the fuel subsidy removal and the persistent depreciation of the naira against major foreign currencies has led to a notable slump in importation levels across Nigerian ports, including Lekki.
However, he expressed optimism that the situation is beginning to improve, noting that the port processed 222,000 TEUs between January and June 2025 alone — a significant leap from the 54,289 TEUs handled in 2023, its first year of operation.
Odibe also stated that transhipment operations are gaining momentum, particularly to neighbouring and landlocked countries.
“Lekki Port currently receives between 10 to 12 vessels each month,” he said. “Our transhipment activities have also grown substantially. We now conduct international transhipment to Togo, Benin Republic, Ghana, Abidjan, and several landlocked countries. We are picking up because the naira is gradually stabilizing.
“Volumes dropped initially due to the naira’s depreciation and the removal of fuel subsidies. This slowed our growth projections. But now, we are on a recovery path. From 54,289 TEUs in 2023, we’ve already done 222,000 as of June this year, and we are aiming for 500,000 TEUs by the close of 2025,” he added.
On port operations, Odibe revealed that the current vessel turnaround time stands at 48 hours, while truck turnaround time is approximately one hour and 25 minutes. The average cargo dwell time at the port is 16 days.
Meanwhile, the Managing Director of Lekki Port, Mr. Wang Qiang, reaffirmed the port’s commitment to setting and maintaining international standards.
Represented by the Chief Operating Officer, Mr. Young Qiang, the MD stated that Lekki Port remains dedicated to pushing the boundaries of excellence in maritime logistics and infrastructure.
“We continue to raise the bar and set new benchmarks to uphold our position as West Africa’s deepest seaport,” Qiang said. “The outcomes of our unwavering commitment to global best practices are evident in the bold strides we are making on the African maritime trade map — through technology deployment, operational efficiency, and strategic regional engagement,” he concluded.
