SIMIC

THE 13,092-TEU Maersk Edirne recently made history by docking at Lekki Port in Nigeria, the country's deepest seaport, reports Bangalore's Marine Insight.

This marks the largest containership ever to arrive in Nigeria. The vessel is part of the new CMA CGM WAX service, which comprises 13 large containerships and operates along vital routes encompassing Xiamen, Qingdao, Shanghai, Singapore, Lekki Port and Abidjan.



Notably, Lekki Port is the only port in Nigeria included in this significant port rotation.



Lekki Port chairman Biodun Dabiri stressed that the accomplishment elevates Lagos State and Nigeria on the international maritime stage, marking the starting point for Nigeria's pursuit of maritime hub status in the sub-Saharan African region.



Lekki Port COO Laurence Smith described the berthing of such a sizable vessel as a positive development that will contribute significantly to enhancing the Nigerian economy.



This includes facilitating increased cargo delivery and reducing shipping costs.



Mr Smith commended the container terminal operator, Lekki Freeport Terminal, a subsidiary of CMA CGM, for providing efficient terminal services since the commencement of commercial operations in April 2023.



In response to the development Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) managing director Mohammed Bello-Koko stated that the accomplishment validates the assurances provided by the authority during the signing of the Presidential/Ministerial Performance Bond in December 2023.