Lekki Deep Seaport reaches nearly 50% operational capacity, with month-on-month growth in container throughput and improved connectivity driving efficiency

The Lekki Deep Seaport has reached almost half of its designed operational capacity, with steady month-on-month growth in container throughput since September, the port announced.

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Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Lekki Port LFTZ Enterprise Limited, Mr Wang Qiang, disclosed this during an end-of-year media parley on Tuesday, attributing the development to growing confidence from shipping lines and cargo owners.

“We already reached almost 50 per cent of our port capacity now,” Wang said, noting consistent improvements in the number of twenty-foot equivalent units handled monthly.

He emphasised the importance of efficient multimodal connectivity to sustain and accelerate growth, highlighting barge operations as a critical evacuation channel.

Wang also pointed to the ongoing Lagos–Calabar Coastal Road project, which he said would ease congestion and improve access to the port.

“Rail connectivity is essential, particularly given the scale of industrial activities emerging within the Lekki corridor,” he added.

While stressing that Lekki Port is fully automated, Wang acknowledged that delays may persist until government agencies and other stakeholders align with end-to-end digital processes.

He cited customs procedures, particularly physical cargo examinations, as areas requiring full digitalisation to reduce cargo dwell time.

“Integration between the customs system, the terminal operating system, and customers is already part of an agreed implementation schedule. For automation to work efficiently, all players must be ready—customers, government, and every stakeholder,” Wang explained.

He also noted that improved connectivity and performance optimisation could effectively double the port’s capacity without expanding its physical footprint.

The Lekki Deep Seaport, Nigeria’s first deep-sea port, is one of West Africa’s largest maritime infrastructure projects, located at Ibeju-Lekki in Lagos State within the Lagos Free Zone.

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During the media tour, journalists visited the customs examination area, scanners, and shipside operations within the terminal.