By Yemi Olakitan
A new record was set in Nigeria’s maritime sector on Monday, January 21, 2024, when the Lekki Deep Seaport welcomed the largest container vessel to ever visit the country.
The vessel, called ‘Maersk Edirne’, was brought to the seaport by the pilots of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA).
According to a statement by the NPA, the vessel had a length of 367M, a breadth of 48.2M, a Gross Registered Tonnage (GRT) of 142,131metric tonnes and a Dead weight Tonnage (DWT) of 147,340 metric tonnes. It also had 3,376 total cargo onboard.
The NPA hailed the arrival of the vessel as a remarkable achievement for the nation, as it showed the capability and readiness of the Lekki Deep Seaport to handle large-scale maritime activities.
The seaport, which is the first in Nigeria to implement full automation and enable transshipments, has raised the bar for the industry.
The NPA chief, Mohammed Bello Koko, thanked the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Gboyega Oyetola, for his backing and endorsement of the NPA’s initiatives and investments in enhancing the skills and equipment of its staff.
He said, “This is a historic event for Nigeria, as we have witnessed the arrival of the biggest vessel ever to sail on our waters. The previous record holders were “MV Stadelhorn” and “MSC Maureen” at Onne Port and TinCan Island Port Complexes respectively. But today, we have outdone them by a large margin. This proves that the Lekki Deep Seaport is prepared to meet and surpass the expectations of our stakeholders.”
