Eromosele Abiodun
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has assured stakeholders of efficient and seamless operations at the Lekki Deep Seaport.
This assurance was made during the 2024 Roadshow organized by Lekki Port and Lekki Freeport Terminal in conjunction with the Nigeria Customs Service in Lagos.
Speaking, Customs Area Controller, Lekki Area Command, Comptroller Mohammed Babandede, stated that the Nigeria Customs Service is totally committed to providing its support to guarantee the efficiency of the terminal operations at Lekki Port.
According to Babandede, members of the command have been fully trained and equipped to manage operations to ensure quick evacuation of cargo.
Also, the management of Lekki Port and Lekki Freeport Terminal assured maritime stakeholders that they will enjoy the use of Lekki Port and its state-of-the-art facilities.
The Chief Operating Officer of Lekki Port, Laurence Smith, stated that the roadshow was an opportunity to intimate potential port users of the ease of doing business in Lekki Port. He noted that “Lekki Port is a game changer that would revolutionize the maritime sector in Nigeria and West Africa, given the sophisticated equipment and facilities available”.
On his part, the Chief Operating Officer of Lekki Freeport Terminal, Dirk Van Acker, explained that customers stand to benefit a lot by using Lekki Port, being the only port in Nigeria with the largest carrying capacity as it can handle 1.2 million TEU throughput and a terminal that delivers best-in-class service to cargo owners. He stated that “At LFT, excellent customer service is at the core of what we do with counters strategically located at Lekki and Apapa (Burma Road)”.
The Chief Commercial Officer of Lekki Freeport Terminal, Kehinde Olubi-Neye, in his presentation, highlighted all the features of the port including automation, and stated that users of the port will enjoy cost savings. He described the efficiency of the terminal concerning shipment delivery with the turnaround time for cargo taking less than 1 hour while dwell time at the truck park is not more than 10 days.
Making his own contribution at the event, the Deputy Chief Operating Officer of Lekki Port, Daniel Odibe, highlighted the significance of the port beyond its status as the deepest seaport in West Africa to the use of technology which has limited human interface in its process of cargo clearance and evaluation. He added that the sophisticated equipment at the port is automated and designed to comply with Environmental Protection Standards.
Some stakeholders commended the management of Lekki Port and Lekki Freeport Terminal as well as the Lagos State government for the world-class port facilities and quality of the road infrastructure. Others commended Lekki Port for redefining the maritime landscape with sophisticated equipment that has helped immensely to improve turnaround time for cargo evacuation.
