President Bola Tinubu is set to officially launch the newly upgraded West Africa Container Terminal (WACT) in Onne, Rivers State, next Wednesday, as announced by the terminal operator in a statement released on Sunday.
The upgrade, a significant project valued at $115 million (about N178.2 billion), began in 2021. APM Terminals operates the terminal, which is recognized as Nigeria’s largest and most efficient container terminal outside Lagos.
Jeethu Jose, Managing Director of WACT, highlighted the importance of this milestone in the development of Nigerian ports. “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 are thoroughly excited about it,” he said.
He added that the $115 million investment demonstrates APM Terminals’ confidence in the Nigerian economy and aligns with their mission of enhancing lives and boosting global trade.
WACT is Nigeria’s first greenfield container terminal established under a public-private partnership model. Located within the oil and gas free zone in Onne, Rivers State, it serves as a key gateway for accessing markets beyond Lagos and plays a crucial role in supporting the economic growth of Eastern Nigeria.
In a historic event on August 15, 2020, WACT welcomed the Maersk Stadelhorn, the largest container vessel ever to dock at a Nigerian port. The vessel is 300 meters long and 48.2 meters wide, with a capacity to carry approximately 10,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of containers.
