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Update : All set as Buhari inaugurates $1.5 billion Lekki Deep Seaport, first in Nigeria
…..It ‘ll improve Nigeria port industry, promote int’l trade – CHEC Chairman
President Muhammadu Buhari will any moment officially commission the $1.5 billion Lekki Deep Seaport, first in Nigeria
As at 1.40 pm, dignitaries, including diplomatic corps have stormed the Lekki Deep Sea Port, venue of the commissioning awaiting President Buhari who is also billed to commission other iconic projects in Lagos.
Among the dignitaries in attendance include: Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Muhammed, Managing Director, MD, of Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA Mohammed Bello Koko, DirectorcGeneral DG, NIMASA, Bashir Jamoh and Executive Secretary, Nigerian Shippers Council, Emmanuel Jime, among others.
By its size and depth, the Lekki Deep Seaport is expected to be the game changer in West and Central Africa.
Other projects slated for commissioning are the 18.75km six-lane rigid-pavement Eleko Junction to Epe Expressway; the John Randle Centre for Yoruba Culture and History; and the MRS Lubricant Factory in Apapa
Buhari, on arrival with the Lagos State Governor, Bababjide Sanwo-Olu, will be conducted round the port’s 1.5km long main.
The seaport’s spanning over 600 meters, is enough for a vessel of up to 16,000 standard containers (TEU). The approach channel is 11 km long.
The Lekki Deep Seaport made history last year as it received the first-ever vessel (Zhen Hua 28) to berth at the port.
The port has three terminals: the container terminal, the liquid terminal, and the dry bulk terminal.
According to the promoters, the container terminal has an initial draft of 14 metres, with the potential for further dredging to 16.5 metres. The terminal is able to handle 2.5 million 20-foot standard containers per year.
The deep-sea port of Lekki is the first port in Nigeria with ship-to-shore cranes. It has three of these container gantry cranes; they belong to the “Super-post-Panamax” group – this means that they can reach and unload the rearmost row of containers even if the container ship is wider than the Panama Canal (49m or 160ft maximum boat beam).
The STS cranes have a fixed rail at the quayside. They can lift 65 tons in twin-lift mode, 50 tons in single-lift mode or 85 tons under a hook.
The port’s computerised system will allow container identification and clearance from the office, and human interaction will be minimal in the physical operations
When phase 2 is completed, the deep sea port will have three liquid berths. The liquid cargo terminal will handle vessels up to 45,000 DWT (dead weight tonnage) and can expand to reach a capacity of 160,000 DWT.
Liquids (like petrol or diesel) will be handled at a tank farm near the port. The docking area is equipped with loading arms. It is also connected by pipelines along the breakwater.
The bulk terminal with an available quay length of 300m can accommodate a Panamax class vessel (75,000 DWT).
Goodwill messages
Meanwhile, Chairman of China Harbour Engineering Company, CHEC, the project construction company,Tang Qiaoliang, said that the completion and commencement of operation of Lekki Deep Sea Port will improve the Nigerian port industry, easing the burden of cargo shipment flow, creating employments, and ultimately promote international trade in the nation.
Qiaoliang stated this at the official commissioning.
The CHEC Chairman explained that Lekki Port is the first deep sea port in Nigeria, a major trade hub in West Africa.
According to him, “Lekki Port is the first deep sea port in Nigeria, a major trade hub in West Africa. It will improve the Nigerian port industry, easing the burden of cargo shipment flow, creating employments, and ultimately promote international trade in the nation.
“As an international top-tier engineering contractor, investment operator, urban developer and ecological manager, CHEC insists to its philosophy ‘value-orientation’, commits itself to upgrading of ‘platform plus industrial leading’strategy.
“With such strategy, we see the opportunity in Nigeria, and believe in its potential.
“So we committed the adequate financial investments and essential technology, together with Nigerians in the construction and operation of the Port.
“Under the framework of the China Africa Forum and the Belt and Road Initiative, we look forward to establishing long-term strategic partnerships, in the infrastructure sector with the Federal Government of Nigeria.
“This will ultimately deepen the relations and cooperation between Nigeria and China, better serving the Nigerian people and its economy,” he noted.
Similarly, Chairman Tolaram, Mohan Vaswani in his goodwill message, commended both the State and Federal Government for their Corporation and dedication to the çompletion of the project.
Vaswani thanked President Mohammadu Buhari for “for creating an enabling environment for foreign investors to flourish in Nigeria.
“I must thank everyone who has been with us through thick and thin, Jending their support and encouraging us to make sure we deliver on this project. This kept us going even when it seemed there was no hope.
“Lagos State Government since the time of my good friend and brother, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s government, through successive administrations up till the dynamic and hardworking Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has been with us forging a path together on this iconic project.
“At the Federal level and the parastatals, we have enjoyed strong cooperation from everyone.
“I also celebrate our partner, China Harbour Engineering Company for committing resources to the project which was a turning point for the project,” he noted.
Chairman Tolaram, Mr. Mohan Vaswani, in his address, said, “This Port being completed and commissioned is an important milestone for Tolaram and Nigeria and we are proud of our humble efforts to develop a world-class port in Nigeria.
“This significant milestone will definitely increase the economic well-being of Nigeria and its people and that is the mostimportantthing.
“This journey started in 2003 or so, when President Olusegun Obasanjo gave the approval for the port project to be developed. The journey has been challenging with so many hurdies but with God on our side, and the support of the President Buhari administration we have persevered and today we all have something to be proud of.
“Thank you Mr. President for creating an enabling environment for foreign investors to flourish in Nigeria. I must thank everyone who has been with us through thick and thin, lending their support and encouraging us to make sure we deliver on this project. This kept us going even when it seemed there was no hope.
“Lagos State Government since the time of my good friend and brother, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s government, through successive administrations up till the dynamic and hardworking Mr. Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has been with us forging a path together on this iconic project.”
Chairman Lekki Deep Sea Port
The chairman of Lekki Port, Mr Biodun Dabiri, had earlier said: “From what I can see, in the next four to five years, the economy of the Lekki environs would be worth $25 billion which translates to N10 trillion – an investment amount almost similar to the whole budget of Nigeria.
“I can tell you that if we focus on this axis alone, the ranking of Lagos as one of the largest economies in Africa would be better; we could move from the 4th to 3rd, 2nd and eventually Number 1.”
Morocco have been officially crowned champions of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations after the CAF Appeal Board overturned the result of the final against Senegal. The decision comes after extraordinary scenes in Rabat where the Lions of Teranga walked off the pitch in protest, leading to a retrospective 3-0 forfeit victory for the host nation.
In a detailed statement, the CAF Appeal Board confirmed that the appeal lodged by the FRMF was “declared admissible in form and the appeal is upheld.” This landmark ruling effectively strips Senegal of what would have been their second continental crown, rewarding the hosts for a match that descended into chaos during extra time.
The roots of the controversy lie in a heated moment deep into stoppage time when Morocco’s Brahim Diaz went down in the box. While the referee initially waved play away, a VAR review resulted in a spot-kick for the hosts. This sparked a furious reaction from the Senegalese bench, with head coach Pape Thiaw instructing his players to return to the dressing room in a protest that lasted several minutes.
The CAF Appeal Board found that “the conduct of the Senegal team falls within the scope of Articles 82 and 84 of the Regulations of the Africa Cup of Nations.” By leaving the field of play, Senegal was deemed to have infringed on the regulations, leading to the administrative 3-0 defeat. The ruling sets aside the previous CAF Disciplinary Board decision and confirms that the protest lodged by Morocco has been fully upheld
Mo 
No fewer than 26 passengers and onboard personnel sustained varying degrees of injuries following a train incident along the Abuja–Kaduna rail corridor on Monday.
The incident, which occurred at about 9:16 a.m. near Asham Station, involved the KA-2 service travelling from Rigasa to Idu. According to an interim report released by the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), a loud bang was heard as the power car and a trailing locomotive collided with one of the coaches.
Preliminary findings indicate that the incident may have been caused by a fault in one or more couplers, leading to a possible disconnection within the train formation. However, authorities confirmed that none of the coaches derailed.
The train had earlier departed Rigasa Station at 7:15 a.m., arriving at Jere slightly ahead of schedule before departing a few minutes later after an additional locomotive was coupled to improve operational resilience.
Following the incident, affected components—including a locomotive, power car, and one passenger coach—were detached from the train to allow the journey to continue safely.
A total of 481 people were onboard at the time, including passengers, crew members, security personnel, vendors, cleaners, and other service providers. Of the 459 passengers booked for the trip, 429 were confirmed to have boarded.
Despite the disruption, the train resumed movement at about 9:42 a.m., arriving in Kubwa at 10:10 a.m. and terminating at Idu Station at 10:39 a.m., with an overall delay of approximately 38 minutes.
The NRC stated that injured persons included passengers, staff, and security personnel, although details of the severity of injuries were not fully disclosed.
Train services on the route were later restored the same day, with subsequent trips resuming operations, albeit with delays. The Managing Director of the NRC, Kayode Opeifa, was onboard one of the recovery services to monitor the situation.
The corporation assured the public that a full investigation is underway to determine the exact cause of the incident and to prevent future occurrences.
By Sotayo Olayinka
MAR 16, 2026
The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has commenced an investigation into a railway incident involving a passenger train operating along the Rigasa–Idu rail corridor after a locomotive detached and struck the rear of the train.
The incident occurred about 09:16 a.m. along the Jere–Asham section of the corridor near Asham Station in Kaduna State. The track segment where the occurrence took place lies on a downward gradient.
The train, identified as KA2, had departed Rigasa Railway Station in Kaduna at the start of its scheduled journey to Idu Railway Station in Abuja. The service operates within a scheduled window of 07:15 a.m. to 10:01 a.m.
According to details released by the Bureau, the train arrived at Jere Station at 08:52 a.m. and departed again at 08:59 a.m. for the onward journey to Abuja after a rear locomotive was attached to provide additional operational support.
However, shortly after departure from Jere, the rear locomotive became detached while the train was moving along the descending gradient toward the Asham section. The detached locomotive subsequently rolled forward and collided with the rear portion of the train, resulting in a serious operational occurrence.
At the time of the incident, the train consisted of two locomotives positioned at the front and rear, one power car, two business-class coaches and six standard passenger coaches. A total of 429 passengers were onboard, alongside 46 crew members and 24 security personnel assigned to the service.
No fatalities were recorded, though some passengers sustained injuries. Personnel from the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), supported by onboard security operatives, immediately activated emergency response procedures.
Medical personnel provided first aid to injured passengers.
Following the incident, the train continued its journey and arrived at Idu Station in Abuja about 10:39 a.m., where additional assistance was provided to passengers.
Investigators from the NSIB have since begun gathering evidence and conducting technical analysis to determine the circumstances surrounding the occurrence.
The investigation will examine technical, operational and infrastructure-related factors, including train configuration, locomotive attachment systems, operational procedures and relevant operational data.
Commenting on the incident, Director-General of the Bureau, Alex Badeh Jr., expressed concern for affected passengers and reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to determining the cause of the occurrence.
“This incident reminds us that every transport journey carries the trust and expectations of hundreds of people who rely on the system to move them safely to their destination.
Our thoughts are with the passengers who sustained injuries, and we commend the swift response of Nigerian Railway Corporation personnel and emergency teams who assisted those affected.
“At the Bureau, we approach every investigation with a deep sense of responsibility because behind every occurrence are real people, real families, and real consequences.
“Our team will carefully examine every relevant factor to understand what happened and to ensure that the lessons from this occurrence lead to safer railway operations across Nigeria”, he said.
The Bureau said it will work closely with the Nigerian Railway Corporation and other relevant agencies as the investigation progresses, adding that further updates will be provided as more information becomes available.
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