APM Terminals deepens commitment to Nigeria during ministerial visit to Denmark
This week, APM Terminals reinforced its longstanding commitment to Nigeria and its commitment to further investment to support the country in achieving its trade and economic development goals.
This took place during the visit by Nigeria’s Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, the Honourable Adegboyega Oyetola, and his delegation to Denmark. During the visit, the parties discussed the extension of APM Terminals’ port concessions at Apapa and the West Africa Container Terminal in Onne. And the visit included a signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) related to development of a greenfield project at Badagry. The MoU was signed in Copenhagen by Vincent Clerc, Group CEO of A.P. Moller – Maersk, on behalf of APM Terminals, and by Didi Ndiomu, Managing Director of Badagry Port Development Ltd and Quinn McGrath Marine and Environmental Services Ltd.
The agreement commits the parties to exclusive negotiations to explore the development of Badagry Port, where the deepwater capacity would be transformational in strengthening Nigeria’s role as a leading gateway port in West Africa and creating significant new transshipment opportunities. By enabling larger container vessels to call Nigeria, the project would support growth, greater supply chain resilience and new trade opportunities. APM Terminals is committed to carrying forward development of Badagry.
“APM Terminals is keen to contribute to Nigeria’s economic growth and position as a trade hub in West Africa. We believe further investing long-term in our concessions in Apapa and Onne helps doing that, and we were pleased to have a constructive dialogue about this today. Additionally, developing Badagry as a greenfield project will further ease congestions in city ports and further open new opportunities,” says Igor van den Essen, Managing Director of Africa & Europe for APM Terminals, part of the A. P. Moller – Maersk group.
The signing came against the backdrop of Minister Oyetola’s visit to Denmark, which included meetings with senior representatives of the Danish government and the wider Danish maritime sector.
“APM Terminals is encouraged by the Nigerian government's ambition to expand trade, attract investment, and strengthen the country's position as a leading maritime gateway in West Africa, and we are proud to play a part in that ambition. We strongly believe that public-private partnerships help us deliver results that support growth because they drive long-term investment, a better business environment and, thereby, competitiveness in a rapidly developing market,” says Igor van den Essen.
Mr Didi Ndiomu added “Investing in maritime infrastructure and especially in Badagry as a greenfield port project together with APM Terminals is the beginning of Nigeria becoming the true maritime capital of sub-Saharan Africa in full alignment with the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s ambitious maritime growth strategy.”