- Managing Director, West Africa Container Terminal (WACT), Jeethu Jose (second left), Customs Area Controller, Port Harcourt II Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service, Compt. Baba Imam (second right), and others at the commissioning of WACT’s new Container Freight Station at the Onne Port, Rivers State…recently
By Anthony Nwachukwu
In a significant milestone in its strategic vision of becoming the “gateway to Eastern Nigeria and beyond,” APM Terminals’ West Africa Container Terminal (WACT) has commissioned its new Container Freight Station (CFS) at Onne Port, Rivers State.
The new facility adds to the company’s comprehensive suite of logistics solutions to empower Nigerian businesses and further boost efficiency and access.
In his address, WACT Managing Director, Jeethu Jose, disclosed that expertly crafted solutions at the CFS are designed to expedite the movement of key Nigerian commodities like agro products and solid minerals, ensuring Just-in-Time (JIT) service delivery through efficient stuffing and swift transfers to the port.
He further stated that the facility will be a central hub for various trade-related activities, including interaction with regulatory authorities, and seamlessly connect businesses in Eastern Nigeria to the global marketplace and vice versa.
With reliable warehousing service, Jose explained that the facility will support streamlined processes for cargo import and export across diverse sectors, and reduce time and cost for customers.
“The CFS will serve as a one-stop-shop where all our customers can consolidate their exports. The facility will aid the Nigerian government’s drive to promote export and generate forex, which will be beneficial to the country and the economy,” he said.
Also, WACT Commercial Manager, Ismaila Badjie, said the facility is first of its kind in Onne Port and “has a lot of benefits to the customer. It is cost-effective and also ensures as little as possible in terms of waste of time.
“The facility will help customers in non-oil exports. This facility will also continue to support and ensure that natural produce is available abroad, and will directly or indirectly aid creation of jobs.”
On his part, the Customs Area Controller, Port Harcourt II Area Command, Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Compt. Baba Imam, congratulated WACT on the facility, stating: “By constructing this edifice, we will be able to facilitate trade.
“It entails that WACT is transforming and trying to be consistent in the way and manner they keep adding value, which is a clear manifestation of the kind of commitment they have in trying to be consistent in the transformation agenda they have.”
WACT which started commercial operation in 2006 as the first greenfield container terminal to be built under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model in Nigeria.
The terminal is located within the Oil and Gas Free Zone in Onne Port, Rivers State, and has over the years grown to become the most efficient gateway to markets outside the Lagos area, as well as being a major gateway to East Nigeria.
