While the beautiful South African port city of Cape Town plays host to the African Ports Evolution 2012 Forum, taking place this month, another one of Africa’s economic hubs is set to open itself up to new and exciting trade possibilities with the construction of a new mega-port. The West African nation of Nigeria will welcome this extensive new sea port, which will be situated at Badagry in Lagos State.
High-Capacity Sea Port
The project, headed by APM Terminals, will include a Free Trade Zone as well as the new mega-port. This deepwater full-service sea port is set to be one of the largest on the continent of Africa, boasting a 7-km quay and a 1000-hectare yard. With cutting-edge facilities for all types of cargo, the proposed Badagry Port will help to reduce congestion in the nearby Port of Lagos, where current capacity is set to be outstripped by increasing container traffic volumes by 2017. The move will also help to establish Nigeria as a major player in the maritime trading sector.
Trade Facilities
The Badagry Free Trade Zone, an adjoining area to the proposed port, will include the following state-of-the-art facilities:
- An inland container depot;
- An oil refinery;
- A power plant;
- Warehousing;
- An industrial park.
According to APMT, the proposal has seen a “supportive and positive” response from the Nigerian Federal Government, the Nigerian Ports Authority and Lagos State; the construction of this ambitious African port is scheduled to begin in 2016.
With plans for this exciting maritime development making headway, South Africa’s ocean freight companies and shipping agencies will have a great deal to discuss at the African Ports Evolution Forum, which focuses on sustainable solutions for the continent’s sea ports as demand continues to drive their expansion.
