On September 4, President Bola Tinubu will formally open the renovated West Africa Container Terminal (WACT) in Rivers State.
WACT said in a statement on Monday that the facility, which is situated inside the Onne oil and gas free zone, had undergone a substantial $115 million (about N178.2 billion) upgrade that started in 2021.
According to a release, the WACT, run by APM Terminals, is thought to be the biggest and most effective container terminal in Nigeria outside of Lagos. Speaking about the project, WACT Managing Director Jeethu Jose noted that the upgrade’s completion represents a critical turning point in the development 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 stated that the new investment supports APM Terminals’ mission to enhance lives while promoting international trade and is evidence of their faith and confidence in the Nigerian economy.
The announcement claimed that the WACT is the first greenfield container port in Nigeria to be developed using the public-private partnership (PPP) concept.
The statement reads, “On August 15, 2020, WACT made history when it received the largest container vessel ever to berth at any Nigerian port. The vessel, Maersk Stadelhorn, measures 300 meters in length overall and 48.2 meters 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, and heads of government agencies such as the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), and Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC).
Among others are the Oil and Gas Free Zones Authority (OGFZA) and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), as well as representatives of importers and exporters, shipping corporations, and freight forwarding associations.
