By Seun Ibiyemi
West Africa Container Terminal (WACT) APM Terminals Nigeria and the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to advance decarbonisation in Nigeria’s port and transport ecosystem through container freight electrification.
The agreement, signed in New York at the Dutch Consulate during the Global African Business Initiative week, provides a framework to develop a phased roadmap for electrifying containerised freight in line with the policies of the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy.
“We believe Nigeria is ideally positioned to lead West Africa’s transition to low-carbon logistics by electrifying its container transport sector,” said Frederik Klinke, CEO of APM Terminals Nigeria.
“Nigeria is Africa’s largest economy and trade hub. Our research shows the country can leapfrog fossil-fuel infrastructure by adopting proven electric technologies. We are optimistic about shaping the roadmap for an electrified future in container logistics.”
NPA Managing Director, Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, hailed the collaboration as a transformative step.
“With this development, Onne Port will become Nigeria’s first green port, promoting decarbonisation within the transport ecosystem and positioning our ports as continental leaders in sustainable operations,” he said.
The $60 million project, fully funded by APM Terminals, is expected to serve as a model for other African countries.The MoU builds on a study presented by APM Terminals at the Decarbonising Infrastructure in Nigeria Summit in Abuja in July, which underscored the importance of freight electrification in attracting private investment, creating skilled jobs, and ensuring a more reliable energy supply.
“For APM Terminals, partnerships are key to generating long-term growth and value for the countries we operate in,” said Jeethu Jose, Managing Director of WACT, Onne.
“Our investments are for our shared future and for the people of the region, and we look forward to driving this project with stakeholders across the port industry.”