Harboursandport.com: Lagos, Nigeria - July 25, 2025: Lekki Deep Sea Port will reopen its local transshipment link to South-South and Eastern seaports by deploying small craft and barges, Deputy Chief Operations Officer, DCOO, Daniel Odibe announced in Lagos.
The initiative, originally launched last year but paused for regulatory and logistical adjustments, is slated to restart before December.
Odibe explained that the transshipment service transports containers and break-bulk cargo from Lekki to: Warri Port, Calabar Port, Port Harcourt, Onne Port and other inland jetties along the Niger Delta coastline
He emphasized that while Lekki Port provides the interface and cargo-handling facilities, the actual maritime link will be operated under a private arrangement with a licensed coastal shipping firm rather than directly by the port’s management.
A coastal logistics company has chartered a fleet of shallow-draft barges and small feeder vessels to handle up to 200 TEUs per voyage.
Weekly sailings will run on fixed schedules, with capacity ramped up during peak harvest and trading seasons.
All operators must comply with Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) safety standards and environmental regulations.
Reinstating local transshipment from Lekki Port is designed to: decongest Lagos road corridors by shifting bulky cargo off highways, shorten delivery times to Eastern and South-South markets by an estimated 24–36 hours, enhance supply-chain resilience for agricultural produce, petroleum products, and light manufactures and support Nigeria’s regional trade ambitions under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) framework
The expected benefits of the plan operation includes; cost efficiency which will result to operators anticipation of 15–20 per cent reduction in inland haulage costs; the coastal service will generate over 300 direct jobs for barge crews, port handlers, and logistics coordinators; moving freight by water emits up to 75 per cent less CO₂ per ton-kilometer compared to road transport and ports at Warri, Onne, Port Harcourt and Calabar stand to receive upgrades as cargo volumes increase.
With regulatory clearances now in place, Daniel Odibe reaffirmed the port’s commitment to seamless operations and stakeholder engagement:
“Our role is to provide world-class terminal handling. Through this private partnership, we’re catalyzing a coastal shipping network that complements Nigeria’s road and rail systems. Before year end, shippers will see the full benefits on their invoices and delivery times,” he said.
Private operators are finalizing insurance, vessel surveys, and crew certifications this quarter. The first coastal sailing is expected by late November, signaling a new era of multi-modal freight movement from Lekki Port into Nigeria’s resource belt.
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