The management of Ports & Cargo Handling services Ltd. (a subsidiary of Sifax Group) in collaboration with Mediterranean Shipping Company Nig. Ltd. (MSC) has received Mare Atlanticum, the largest container vessel to ever call Lagos Pilotage District.
The management of Ports & Cargo Handling services Ltd. (a subsidiary of Sifax Group) in collaboration with Mediterranean Shipping Company Nig. Ltd. (MSC) has received Mare Atlanticum, the largest container vessel to ever call Lagos Pilotage District.
The 260-metre long vessel, with a capacity for 4,038 TEUs, berthed at the terminal at Tin Can Island port where she was received by top management and operations staff of the terminal, led by the General Manager, Operations,;Mustafa Mohammed and the Managing Director of MSC Nig. Ltd (agents for MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company S.A); Jeff Gosciniak.
The call of Mare Atlanticum is in furtherance of MSC’s dedicated service between Asia and West Africa, the ‘Africa Express’. This service was introduced in order to improve the transit time of the already existing service from the initial 44 days to 28 days.
In his speech to commemorate the call, the Managing Director of MSC Nig. Ltd, Jeff Gosciniak emphasized the benefits of this new service, which will now be calling Port and Cargo weekly, even as he assured that, with the new service, “Nigerian importers will have their consignment expressly delivered without any trans-shipment”. He added that this will have a ripple effect throughout the Nigerian economy as a whole.
He however attributed this service to the hard work, dedication and joint efforts of both Port and Cargo, MSC Nig. Ltd and Nigerian Ports Authourity.
Also speaking on the day, the General Manager, Operations, Mustafa Mohammed, expressed his gratitude to all parties involved in ensuring the smooth call of the ship.
Mr. Mohammed added that the terminal has the capacity to handle the increasing volume of cargo that this new service will attract, as the company has invested largely in the latest state-of-the-art equipment, ranging from the recently purchased rubber tyred gantries (RTGs) to mobile harbour cranes and terminal trucks.
The Group Executive Vice Chairman/CEO of Sifax Group, Dr. Taiwo Afolabi who was represented congratulated both the terminal operator and the shipping line for their efforts in turning this dream into a reality, saying that, “we have all indeed shown that when partnerships are strong and genuine, there are no limitations as to what can be achieved”.
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