Tinubu to inaugurate revamped $115m container terminal in Onne port

President Bola Tinubu will officially inaugurate the upgraded West Africa container terminal (WACT) in Rivers state on September 4.

In a statement on Monday, WACT said the terminal — located within the oil and gas free zone in Onne — has undergone a significant $115 million (approximately N178.2 billion) upgrade, which began in 2021.

The WACT is operated by APM Terminals and regarded as Nigeria’s largest and most efficient container terminal outside Lagos, according to statement.

Speaking on the project, Jeethu Jose, managing director of WACT, said the completion of the upgrade marks a significant milestone in the history of Nigerian ports.

“We are pleased to announce the successful completion of the upgrade of our terminal at Onne Port. This will be a game-changer for Nigeria and we are thoroughly excited about it,” He said.

Jose said the fresh investment is a testament to the trust and confidence that the APM Terminals has in the Nigerian economy, contributing to their purpose of improving lives while boosting global trade.

The WACT is Nigeria’s first greenfield container terminal to develop under a public-private partnership (PPP) model, the statement said.

The terminal is said to have evolved into the premier gateway for accessing markets beyond the Lagos region and a vital conduit to the  eastern Nigeria’s burgeoning economy.

“On August 15, 2020, WACT made history when it received the largest container vessel ever to berth at any Nigerian port,” the statement reads.

“The vessel, Maersk Stadelhorn, measures 300 metres in length overall and 48.2 metres in beam, with a capacity to carry approximately 10,000 Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEU) of containers.”

The WACT said the inauguration ceremony is expected to attract a host of dignitaries, including governors, ministers, heads of government agencies such as the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), and Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC).

Others include the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and the Oil and Gas Free Zones Authority (OGFZA), representatives of shipping companies, freight forwarding associations, importers and exporters, among others.