The MSC Group has secured a 45-year concession to develop a new container terminal at Snake Island Port in Lagos, in a move expected to improve Nigeria’s port operations and boost maritime trade.
The agreement was signed with the Nigerian maritime company Nigerdock on Mar. 11, while the construction contract for the project was awarded to ITB Nigeria and DEME Group. (MSC)
The container terminal project forms part of more than $1 billion investment by MSC in Nigeria’s ports and logistics sector.
According to details released by the company, the new terminal will include a 910-metre quay designed to support ship-to-shore cranes and mobile harbour cranes that will handle deep-sea container ships and barges.
Engineers working on the project explained that the first phase of dredging will reach a depth of about 16.5 metres, allowing larger cargo vessels to dock safely at the terminal. (MSC)
The facility will also include a 30-hectare container yard equipped with hybrid rubber-tyred gantry cranes for cargo handling. Space has also been reserved to allow expansion of the terminal in the future as cargo traffic grows.
Project designers added that the port can later be dredged further to about 18 metres if there is a need to receive even larger container ships.
Officials of MSC Group said the development shows their confidence in Nigeria’s position as an important shipping hub in West Africa.
They noted that the terminal will help reduce congestion at Lagos ports, improve cargo handling capacity, and create job opportunities in Nigeria’s maritime sector.
Speaking on the project, the President of MSC Group, Diego Aponte, said the terminal will improve efficiency in port operations and strengthen Nigeria’s position in global shipping.
He added that the project will complement the company’s other long-term investments in Nigeria and help expand trade infrastructure in the country.
