TICT, APM Terminals, and PTML Elevate Operations in 2023 with Significant Large Ship Calls
In 2023, Nigeria’s leading container terminals, APM Terminals Apapa, TinCan Island Container Terminal (TICT), and the largest multipurpose roll-on-roll-off (RORO) terminal, Port Terminal Multipurpose Limited (PTML), consolidated their leadership positions at the port. They achieved this by hosting the largest containerships and container-roll-on-roll-off (CONRO) ships that visited Nigeria during the year.
These terminals played a crucial role in handling large vessels, offering significant advantages in freight volume and fuel efficiency. Large ships contribute to economies of scale for shippers and align with the growing emphasis on eco-friendly maritime transport practices.
An illustrative example occurred on March 14th when TICT, operating Terminal B at Tin Can Island Port Complex, Lagos, received the MSC MAUREEN. This vessel is recognized as the largest containership ever to berth at Lagos ports.
Sailing under the Panamanian flag, the MSC MAUREEN is a 6,750 TEU (twenty-foot equivalent unit) ship with a draught of 12 meters, an overall length of 300 meters, and a beam of 40 meters. This notable event underscores the terminals’ capabilities in handling substantial maritime traffic and accommodating large vessels.
“This feat will help us reduce costs and create economies of scale for importers and exporters. Tin Can and Apapa ports remain very important for the Nigerian economy so if larger vessels come here, it will be a great benefit to everyone.
We have seen that we can do it and this will make Lagos more competitive because the larger the vessel, the lower the freight rate for imports and exports,” Managing Director of MSC Nigeria Limited, Andrew Lynch said.
The Chief Operations Officer of TICT, Edward Ancly, highlighted that, beyond the economies of scale, the arrival of the large vessel, MSC MAUREEN, would enhance Nigeria’s export efforts. The vessel is expected to leave the country’s shores carrying export commodities destined for the international market.
This development underscores the potential positive impact of handling larger vessels on Nigeria’s export capabilities.
Ancly described the berthing of MSC MAUREEN at the terminal as a significant achievement, emphasizing the strategic importance of such events in the context of Nigeria’s maritime operations and trade activities.
“It is a major change in our operation. It is the first time we would see a 300-meter length overall vessel coming into Lagos port, so it is going to give more capacity to the shipping lines and bring more business to Nigeria. I am very glad it happened here and in TICT,” Ancly said.
On June 16th, APM Terminals Apapa, Nigeria’s largest container terminal, welcomed the largest containership to dock at the Apapa Port. The vessel, Kota Cantik, flies the flag of Singapore and is operated and managed by Pacific International Lines (PIL).
Kota Cantik is a 6,606 TEU (twenty-foot equivalent unit) containership with a draught of 11.6 meters, a length overall (LOA) of 300 meters, and a beam of 40 meters. This event marks a significant milestone for APM Terminals Apapa and highlights the terminal’s capability to handle large containerships in its operations.
“We are excited at this historic achievement. We thank the Nigerian Ports Authority for maintaining the channels and for professionally piloting the vessel to the port. Without the effort, support, and approval of the NPA, this would not have been possible.
“Carrying a higher number of containers per vessel would translate into lower capital and operating costs per container, thereby reducing the transportation cost per unit. Also, since bigger vessels consume less fuel per container transported, the emissions per TEU are lower than for smaller vessels.
Thus, bigger vessels like the Kota Cantik are more environmentally friendly and contribute to lowering the total emissions of the shipping industry,” Terminal Manager, APM Terminals Apapa, Steen Knudsen, said.
The Managing Director of PIL Nigeria, Kevin Taylor, said consignees and the Nigerian economy will benefit from the vessel call.
“The customers in Nigeria have more opportunities to get cargoes in Lagos and also for competitive exports,” Taylor said.
Charles Okaga, the Port Manager of Lagos Port Complex Apapa, expressed excitement about the berthing of the vessel Kota Cantik. Notably, this event occurred within two weeks of his resumption at the port. The prompt berthing of such a large containership underscores the dynamic and significant activities taking place at the port, reflecting the port’s capacity to handle sizable maritime traffic and vessels.
“The port is the major trade facilitation platform and when vessels of this type berth, it reduces the cost of shipping and consumer goods because all of these costs are put into every shipment.
But if you pay less for shipment and logistics, the landing cost will also reduce, and that reduces inflation while strengthening the ability of people to afford consumer goods,” Okaga said.
On December 4, PTML (Port Terminal Multipurpose Limited) marked the conclusion of large ship calls into Nigeria with the maiden call of the MV Great Lagos. Operated by PTML’s parent company, the Grimaldi Group, MV Great Lagos is recognized as the largest container-RORO (Roll-On/Roll-Off) ship to visit Nigeria and the broader West African sub-region.
The reception in honor of the ship at the Tin Can Island Port Complex, Lagos, was attended by various dignitaries, including Lagos State Governor Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, represented by his Deputy Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, Minister of Marine and Blue Economy Mr. Adegboyega Oyetola, Managing Director of Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) Mr. Mohammed Bello Koko, and Director-General of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Dr. Bashir Jamoh.
The Managing Director of PTML, Mr. Ascanio Russo, described the MV Great Lagos as an ultramodern mega-ship marveling in modern engineering and environmental consciousness. With a length of 290 meters, a beam of 38 meters, and a deadweight of over 45,000 tonnes, the ship can transport 4.7 kilometers of rolling freight, 2,500 Car Equivalent Units (CEUs), and 2,000 Twenty-foot Equivalent Units (TEUs).
MV Great Lagos is the second of the G5-class ships recently launched by the Grimaldi Group, and it is named after Nigeria’s commercial capital, Lagos.
“Today marks a significant milestone, not only for PTML and Grimaldi but for Lagos and Nigeria as a whole. We have gathered here on board this magnificent ship to celebrate the maiden call of the “Great Lagos”, a majestic vessel in the new G5 class of Ro/Ro multipurpose ships.
The naming of this vessel is not merely a coincidence; it is a deliberate and meaningful choice that reflects the deep and enduring connection between the Grimaldi Group and the port city of Lagos,” Russo said at the reception.
Governor Sanwo-Olu, represented by the Deputy Governor, expressed that the visit of the MV Great Lagos is a testament to the confidence of the international community in Nigeria. The ability of the three leading terminal operators to host such large ships is attributed to increased investments in their facilities.
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Notably, APM Terminals Apapa invested an additional USD 80 million (over N80 billion) to upgrade its facilities for receiving large ships. Similarly, TICT and PTML each made additional investments of more than USD 20 million to prepare their facilities for accommodating large vessels.
These substantial investments reflect confidence in the Nigerian economy and highlight the positive impact of the port concession regime. The investments at these terminals are positioning Nigeria to regain its status as a major hub in the West and Central African sub-region.
