Tinubu to Inaugurate $115 Million Container Terminal in Rivers
Rivers State, August 26, 2024 — President Bola Tinubu is set to officially inaugurate the upgraded West Africa Container Terminal (WACT) in Onne, Rivers State, on September 4, 2024. The terminal, located within the oil and gas free zone, has undergone a $115 million upgrade, which began in 2021.
Operated by APM Terminals, WACT is Nigeria’s largest and most efficient container terminal outside Lagos. “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’re thoroughly excited about it,” remarked Jeethu Jose, Managing Director of WACT.
The upgrade represents a significant investment and demonstrates APM Terminals’ confidence in the Nigerian economy. WACT is Nigeria’s first greenfield container terminal developed under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model and has become a crucial gateway for markets beyond Lagos, contributing significantly to the economy of Eastern Nigeria.
The terminal made history on August 15, 2020, when it received the largest container vessel ever to berth at any Nigerian port, the Maersk Stadelhorn, capable of carrying approximately 10,000 Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEU) of containers.
The commissioning event is expected to be attended by several high-profile dignitaries, including governors, ministers, and heads of key government agencies such as the Nigerian Ports Authority, Nigeria Customs Service, and the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, among others. Representatives of shipping companies, freight forwarding associations, importers, and exporters will also be present.
