APM Terminals investment in Apapa hits N180bn

NIGERIA’S largest container terminal, APM Terminals Apapa has invested $438 million (about N180 billion) in the upgrade of its facility, acquisition of modern cargo handling equipment and support of seamless service since it won the concession of the terminal in 2006. The investment is the highest by any port terminal operator in Nigeria.

The Terminal Manager of APM Terminals Apapa, Steen Knudsen, said the terminal is on an exciting journey of a major transformation to deliver greater, sustainable benefits to the Nigerian economy and society.

Aside from the investment in equipment and facility upgrades, APM Terminals Apapa is also investing substantially into the continuous development of its workforce.

“Since inception, we have invested around $438 million purely into the handling equipment we have in the terminal. We have acquired mobile harbour cranes, rubber-tyred gantry cranes, reach stackers, forklifts, terminal trucks, empty handlers and invested in yard improvements.

“An equally important investment is the investment into our workforce, ensuring that we continuously develop our staff. This covers training, career progression and, of course, expanding the business and creating new jobs.

“At the moment, we are also focusing on investing into our facilities: renovating our buildings, upgrading in-gate and out-gate facilities, terminal fencing and lighting. We have equipped the parking area access with a facial recognition system and expanded our terminal fleet with new shuttle buses and pickup trucks.

“Some of our other investments are aimed at simplifying and enhancing trade. For a long time, shipping has been a very manual and paper-heavy process. We are using global best practices to introduce digitalized products, in order to ensure that importers and exporters enjoy a seamless service from the terminal,” Mr Knudsen said.

APM Terminals Apapa also recently launched massive digitisation of its operations and services through the deployment of 4G LTE wireless network and commissioned its Operation Command Centre to enhance quality service delivery.

“We remain committed to deepening our investment in Apapa to enable us to handle increasing volumes at the port. Our investments will create capacity to handle growth in the economy to support the Federal Government’s efforts on trade growth and improve service delivery across the logistic chain,” he said.

YOU SHOULD NOT MISS THESE HEADLINES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE

We Have Not Had Water Supply In Months ― Abeokuta Residents

In spite of the huge investment in the water sector by the government and international organisations, water scarcity has grown to become a perennial nightmare for residents of Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital. This report x-rays the lives and experiences of residents in getting clean, potable and affordable water amidst the surge of COVID-19 cases in the state.