According to Zhongjin, Swiss shipping giant Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) has officially been granted a 45-year concession for the new container terminal at Snake Island Port in Nigeria. This marks a significant step in MSC's infrastructure layout in West Africa, serving as a key component of the company's strategic investment exceeding $1 billion in Nigeria's ports and logistics sector.

Under the agreement, the concession was signed jointly by MSC and the Nigerian maritime logistics company Nigerdock, while the engineering, procurement, and construction contracts for the new terminal were entrusted to ITB Nigeria and the DEME Group.

The plans for the new terminal include the construction of a 910-meter-long quay front, equipped with quay cranes and mobile harbor cranes to cater to deep-sea vessels and barges simultaneously. The initial dredging depth is set at 16.5 meters, matching the existing channel depth. In the rear, a 30-hectare container yard will be built, utilizing hybrid rubber-tired gantry cranes and leaving room for expansion. MSC revealed that the design has taken into account the trend towards larger vessels in the future, with the capability to further dredge to 18 meters as needed to accommodate the berthing of larger container ships.

Diego Aponte, President of the MSC Group, stated, "The new terminal will unlock significant potential, markedly enhance operational efficiency, and help Snake Island Port become one of the world's major maritime hubs. Combined with our other long-term investments in Nigeria, this project will create numerous local job opportunities, strengthen economic resilience, and drive income growth."

MSC emphasized that the implementation of this project fully demonstrates the group's confidence in Nigeria as an emerging maritime hub in West Africa, expecting to significantly enhance regional cargo handling capacity and inject new vitality into Nigeria's trade infrastructure development.