Commercial operations are expected to commence at the Lekki Port by 2022, the Technical Director, Lekki Port Enterprises Limited, Steven Heukelom, has said.
Heukolem stated this while taking newsmen on a facility tour of the port on Wednesday.
He said the project which started three years ago, would berth its first commercial vessel in the early part of 2022.
“After operational readiness, delivery, testing and commissioning, the port will be ready to receive its first vessel,” he said.
Hinting about the level of work done so far, he said the port’s breakwater was about 50 per cent complete.
The Lekki Port is being built on 90 hectares of land at the centre of the Lagos Free Trade Zone, approximately 60 km east of Lagos and will be the first deep water port in the West African country.
Heukelom urged the Federal Government to develop infrastructural facilities, while also organising the traffic into Lekki axis to avoid a repeat of the Apapa port.
“Only the private sector cannot address this challenge. We are challenging the government to line up infrastructure and organise the traffic in this axis,” he said.
Also speaking at the event, the Relationship Director, Mrs Adesuwa Ladoja, said discussions were ongoing with the Federal Ministry of Transportation on the national rail project, adding that there was an interplay to find a holistic approach to avoid a repeat of the Apapa crisis.
“These issues will be solved in an optimal manner. Proper plans have been put in place to ensure everything comes out fine. Already, we have seen big multinationals investing in the zone,” she said.
Source: Punch
