Determined to boost shipping services at Onne Port, the West Africa Container Terminal-APM Terminals Nigeria has partnered with Hapag-Lloyd, one of the world’s leading liner shipping companies, as it launched its service at the terminal.
Announcing this in a statement on Wednesday, the terminal operator explained that the partnership will ensure weekly shipping services from Hapag-Lloyd, which will directly connect East Nigeria to global trade routes.
“This strategic alliance underscores the commitment of WACT-APMT Nigeria to expanding Nigeria’s maritime capabilities and solidifying its position as a vital gateway for international commerce,” the statement read in part.
According to the release, the new service would significantly enhance connectivity, offering increased vessel capacity, improved transit times, and greater schedule reliability for businesses operating in East Nigeria.
The Chief Executive Officer of APMT Nigeria, Frederik Klinke, said the event was a launch of Hapag-Lloyd as a shipping line in East Nigeria.
He said the development is an important milestone and an indication of the strong partnership that the terminal has globally with Hapag-Lloyd.
“This is an important milestone in Eastern Nigeria for building its potential. We at APM Terminals have a firm belief in the Eastern Nigerian market. We are very proud of the partnerships that we have with our shipping line customers, which Hapag Lloyd is among, and our government partners, as well as the customers that we serve in Eastern Nigeria. What we are really trying to do is to lift the Eastern Nigerian market. There is a lot of trade potential that requires better logistic solutions,” Klinke said.
He explained that the terminal has invested $115m over the last year, creating a lot of capacity to make it easier to trade and for the economy of this region to grow.
Klinke highlighted that getting a new shipping line is an extremely important milestone, adding that it signifies incremental growth.
“It means additional opportunities for shippers, and it means that there are new services that are available to the people, new goods and new export markets to explore,” he stated.
He expressed his excitement about the investment in WACT, noting that it has attracted additional customers to the terminal.
Also speaking, the Managing Director of WACT-APM Terminals Nigeria, Jeethu Jose, said the partnership in WACT-APMT Nigeria underscores the growing trust and confidence that the terminal is earning within the regional and global trade ecosystems.
He also acknowledged the continued support of all the company’s stakeholders, stressing that it’s critical to the company’s commitment to give the customers the best in-class service.
“Today is a remarkable day for us at WACT and, indeed, the APM Terminals Group, as we welcome our long-term customer, Hapag-Lloyd, to Onne. This event is significant for many reasons; it underscores the growing trust and confidence that WACT is earning within both regional and global trade ecosystems. Secondly, it is sharp evidence that with the continued support of all our stakeholders, we are making good progress in our commitment to give our customers the best-in-class service and attract new opportunities to grow their businesses,” he said.
Speaking about the impact of Hapag-Lloyd on the business, Jose said, “As a globally respected shipping line known for excellence and reliability, Hapag-Lloyd’s maiden presence in Eastern Nigeria will open new opportunities across the value chain, from our landside customers to regulators. Most importantly, it will further strengthen Nigeria’s maritime and blue economy by expanding global trade connectivity and enabling local businesses to flourish.”
Describing Nigeria as one of the most important markets, the Country Managing Director of Hapag-Lloyd, Himmat Ahlawat, said that customer service is the biggest priority for the Hapag-Lloyd team.
“We consider Nigeria as one of the most important markets, if not the most important, in Africa and Eastern Nigeria. Without calling Eastern Nigeria, our ambitions here will remain unfulfilled. At Hapag Lloyd, the biggest priority we have is customer service. If there are no customers and our customers are not happy, then we have no right to exist. So, our aim is to be the undisputed king of customer service,” Ahlawat said.
The Port Manager of Onne Port, Raymond Abdulrahman, described the new service as one of the greatest milestones achieved by WACT-APM Terminals Nigeria.
“We have another achievement which I want to quantify as one of the greatest milestone achievements that has been done by WACT-APM Terminals Nigeria. We all know today that they have added a liner to the fleet of liners that are coming to Onme. The management of the Nigerian Ports Authority is happy to collaborate with WACT and with Hapag Lloyd for bringing in the liner to Onne,” Abdulrahman said.
WACT-APM Terminals is Nigeria’s first greenfield container terminal to develop under a Public-Private Partnership model. Strategically situated within the Oil and Gas Free Zone, Onne, Rivers State. The terminal is committed to becoming the leading gateway to East Nigeria and beyond – providing safe, efficient, productive operations and customer-centric service delivery.
