Nigeria’s Vice President, Kashim Shettima, on Wednesday inaugurated a $115 million APM Terminals’ upgraded projects at the West Africa Container Terminal (WACT) in Onne, Rivers State, in furtherance of the company’s commitment to Nigeria’s economic growth and supporting the nation as a key maritime trade hub in West Africa.
The Vice President, who was represented by the Personal Assistant to the President on Subnational Infrastructure (Office of the Vice President), Musaddiq Mustapha, commended APM Terminals for its huge investment in WACT.
While pointing out that the $115 million investment in the WACT upgrade will further enhance service delivery at the port and attract more vessels to it, the Vice President assured the company of the Federal Government’s readiness to continue to create enabling environment for businesses to thrive in the country.
Shettima assured: “Nigeria is a country of significant opportunities. APM Terminals’ investment in WACT is a clear sign of the company’s strong commitment to developing ports that are a lifeline to global trade.
“Nigeria will continue collaborating with APM Terminals in the long term to create an environment where businesses participating in global trade can thrive,” the Vice President added.
Speaking at the event, the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Mr. Adegboyega Oyetola, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Mr Olufemi Oloruntola; also commended APM Terminals for the investment in the projects and promised that the Ministry would continue to support terminal operators to modernise the port and reduce the cost of doing business at the nation’s gateway.
The Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Adewale Adeniyi, said the WACT upgrade would support the efforts of the Service to generate more revenue, facilitate trade and curtail the smuggling of harmful and dangerous goods into Nigeria.
In his remarks, the Managing Director of NPA, Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, represented by the Executive Director Marine & Operations, Engr. Olalekan Badmus, enthused: “This project is a clear demonstration of our dedication to ensuring our eastern ports, such as Onne, play a more central role in our national maritime strategy. This will ultimately improve our national maritime traffic.
“First and foremost, I will like to extend our profound gratitude and commendation to the management of West Africa Container Terminal for their substantial investment in this vital infrastructure. Your commitment to advancing Nigeria’s maritime sector is truly commendable and serves as a shining example of foreign direct investment into our nation’s economy”, Dantosho stressed.
During the inauguration, Chief Operating Officer of APM Terminals, Olaf Gelhausen, said: “This $115 million investment is a bold statement of our faith in Nigeria’s economic potential. As Africa’s largest economy and most populous nation, Nigeria stands on the brink of remarkable growth. We are proud to be catalysts in this journey, transforming WACT into a world-class facility that is lifting standards to drive trade and prosperity across West Africa.
“The transformative upgrade project at WACT embodies APM Terminals’ vision of lifting standards in the industry. We’re enhancing capacity, redefining customer experience, and forging stronger partnerships with the Nigerian government to lift global trade”, the industry expert added.
The upgraded project is seen by industry experts as part of APM Terminals’ drive of lifting standards of efficiency, reliability, and local excellence in Nigeria, encompassing a wide-ranging transformation, including extensive yard expansion, state-of-the-art equipment acquisition, and a modern office complex.
For instance, they noted that New Mobile Harbour Cranes (MHC), Rubber Tyre Gantries (RTG), and advanced Cargo Handling Equipment (CHE) will significantly reduce turnaround time and that the investment will introduce an innovative auto gate system and advanced data centre, lifting WACT’s operational efficiency to a new standard, even as the self-service kiosks had also been upgraded to elevate customer experience.
Photo Caption
L-R: Executive Secretary/CEO of Nigerian Shippers’ Council, Barrister Pius Akutah; Comptroller-General of Customs, Mr Adewale Adeniyi; Personal Assistant to the President on Subnational Infrastructure (Office of the Vice President), Musaddiq Mustapha, who represented Vice President Kashim Shettima; CEO, APM Terminals Nigeria, Mr Frederik Klinke; Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, Mr Olufemi Oloruntola; Chief Operating Officer, APM Terminals, Olaf Gelhaussen; and Executive Director, Engineering and Technical Services of NPA, Engr. Ibrahim Abba Umar, during the inauguration of the APM Terminals West Africa Container Terminal (WACT) upgrade at Onne Port, Rivers State, on Wednesday
