Lome Container Terminal (LCT) in Togo is to process 2.2 million Twenty Equivalent Units (TEUs) annually from 2023 as against the 1.2million TEUs at the Lagos Port Complex (LPC) in Apapa in Nigeria.
The TEUs will surpass the 1.2million TEUs at the Lagos Port by 40 per cent before the end of the year, making it to become the largest container terminal in West Africa.
Findings revealed that the concessionaire of the port, MSC/TiL, had started operating the container terminal with a capacity of one million Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units per year.
Lagos Container Terminal, managed by APMT Apapa was the largest container terminal in the region before the latest development. However, the LCT at the Autonomous Port of Lome, with an addition to the existing Bolloré, has now ranked the West African country as the giant of deep water port terminal of the continent. It was learnt that the newly commissioned 2.2 million Twenty Equivalent Units (TEUs) container terminal port would not only serve as a commercial gateway for many West African countries but would also provide huge jobs to people.
Findings revealed that prior to this development, more than three million tonnes of trans- shipment cargoes meant for Niger, Chad and Burkina Faso are being lost annually by Nigerian ports since 2006 till date to Lome and Cotonou ports due to high charges; lengthy cargo dwell time and poor infrastructure at the various seaports in the Nigeria.
Because of this, Nigeria was losing 1.5million tonnes each to the two neighbouring ports respectively. It was learnt that the port of Lomé in Togo had started facilitating direct services from Asia and Europe to tranship cargoes to Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso and the northern areas of Nigeria.
Before the latest move, it would be recalled that Shippers’ Association Lagos State (SALS) had raised the alarm that Nigeria was losing N1trillion from import duties and other charges annually to Lome and other neighbouring ports in West Africa.
President of the association, Rev Jonathan Nicol, complained that the bad roads leading to La- gos ports had added to the losses. He noted that importers were diverting their cargoes because of demurrage, terminal charges, dwell time and storage fees charged by shipping companies and terminal operators.
