In a strategic effort to enhance Nigeria’s non-oil export capacity, APM Terminals Apapa—the country’s largest container terminal—has recently increased its yard capacity to accommodate higher volumes of export cargo. With the new expansion, the terminal can now handle an additional 2,400 TEU containers.
Terminal Manager Steen Knudsen shared insights into the company’s dedication to supporting the Nigerian economy. He emphasized that recent improvements were driven by feedback from exporters and shipping lines. “We’ve held several interactive forums to gather insights and improve our processes,” Knudsen explained. “The expanded yard is a direct result of this collaboration. Furthermore, we’ve completed paving the customs examination section, which enhances the inspection area and improves cargo organization and efficiency.”
Knudsen noted that the terminal managed to execute this expansion and paving project utilizing 254,188 contractor man-hours without any safety or security incidents. This underscores the terminal’s commitment to maintaining safety while optimizing operational efficiency. “We are dedicated to maintaining high safety standards while delivering efficient services,” he added.
The enhancement enables the terminal to manage a larger number of export containers more efficiently, thus reducing wait times and ensuring smoother operations. “Our export section is now better equipped than ever to meet growing demand and improve overall throughput,” he stated.
As part of a broader initiative to promote exports, APM Terminals Apapa has enhanced its barge capacity, gate access, and dedicated export lanes, all aimed at reducing turnaround times for export containers. These improvements have yielded impressive results; in 2024, the terminal recorded a 9% increase in its half-year (H1) export figures for non-oil cargo, reaching 51,000 TEUs compared to 47,000 TEUs in H1 2023.
Over the past four years, the terminal has shown consistent growth in non-oil export cargo. Starting from 53,000 TEUs in 2020, export volumes rose to 63,000 TEUs in 2021 and then to 71,000 TEUs in 2022. The most notable leap occurred in 2023, when volumes surged to 94,000 TEUs—a remarkable 32% increase.
