Steps towards commencing fulll commercial operations at the nation’s first Deep Seaport at Lekki received a major boost on Friday with the arrival of a cargo vessel Zhen Hua 28, berthing at the port.
The arrival of the ship, bearing modern ship-to-shore cranes and ten rubber tyred gantries, is historic as it provides a glimpse into commercial operations at the port.
The vessel, 232 meter long with a draft of 9.2 meters, originated from Shanghai China and spent 30 days at sea before berthing at the deep seaport.
Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority, Muhammed Bello Koko who led other stakeholders to receive the ship said her arrival is an indication that the September 2022 projection for the commencement of full automated operations at the port is realistic.
The deep seaport, conceived 13 years ago, is the first in Nigeria and the best in West Africa.
It has a draft of 16.5 meters and a turning circle of 600 meters,. giving it huge advantage in terms of container capacity turnout for shippers in Nigeria and other African countries.
