Chairman of APM Terminal, Chief Ernest Shonekan has said that the company has spent about N28 billion on civil works, equipment and upgrade of terminal since it took over the facility in 2006.
Shonekan made this disclosure in Lagos last week at a ceremony to mark APM Terminals’ five years of operations at the Apapa Container Terminal, Lagos.
The fifth year anniversary, which was celebrated at the company’s facility in Apapa, coincided with the official commissioning of its newly-built administrative building.
The Chairman said that since it took over the facility in 2006, the company has so far spent about N28 billion ($180 million).
He noted that the company has been able to increase the monthly throughput from 20,000 twenty equivalent units (TEUs) in 2006 when it took over operations to 42,000 TEUs, while vessels waiting time has been reduced from over seven days to 2.4 days.
“As a global leader in port terminal management, we have standards that we must maintain in our operations. This is why we are always engaged in one activity or the other to improve our operations and make delivery of cargo easier for our customers. For example a few years ago, we installed new heavy duty Rubber Tyred Gantry cranes to improve on our service and give our customers more satisfaction and also improved the turnaround of vessels that are patronizing our terminal,” Shonekan said.
The former Head of Interim National Government (ING) added that, despite the challenging operating environment, the company has continued to try its best in the circumstances not only to improve shipping and port terminal activities but to also set the pace in port management in the country.
“Today we are here to commission this new administrative office building as part of the expansion of the container terminal. The office will enable us to improve our operations. It will also enable us to have more space outside for temporary stacking of customers’ containers”.
Also speaking, Managing Director of APM Terminals Apapa Limited, Mr. Dallas Hampton, said that the feat was achieved through the collaborative efforts of all stakeholders and the employees of the company.
He added that the company will continue to improve on its human capacity development in order to improve port management activities and give more satisfaction to its numerous customers.
Dignitaries, who graced the occasion included Managing Director of Mearsk Nigeria Limited, Mr. David Skov; representative of the Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority, Mr. Sunny Nwobi; Chairperson, Seaport Terminal Operators Association of Nigeria (STOAN) and Executive Vice Chairman of ENL Consortium, Princess Vicky Haastrup; representative of the Port Manager Lagos Port Complex Apapa, Hajiya Ali Ibrahim; Zonal Cordinator Zone ‘A’ Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Assistant Comptroller General of customs, Olufemi Taylor and Area Controller, Apapa Area one Command, NCS, Comptroller Suleiman Idris.
Others were the representatives of shipping companies and freight forwarding groups.
APM Terminals offers the global shipping community a geographically balanced, integrated Global Port, Terminal and Inland Services Network which includes 54 operating container facilities in 34 countries with 13 new terminal development or expansion projects underway, along with 121 Inland Services locations in 48 countries.
Staffed by 22,000 professionals across 63 countries and spanning five continents, the company serves every major trade lane with a truly global presence, providing customers with the most advanced terminal technology, equipment and operations in the industry.
APM Terminals has been a major part of the development of the container shipping industry, and it is a role and responsibility the company says it does not take lightly.
APM Terminals was established as an independent division within the A.P. Moller-Maersk Group in 2001, moving its corporate offices from Copenhagen to The Hague in 2004, and reporting results as a separate business entity within the Group as of 2008.
The company’s history in terminal operations began more than half a century ago with a general cargo facility at the Port of New York in 1958. Its heritage dates back through Sea-Land and the very first international container operations when the Sea-Land Fairland was loaded with 236 containers bound for Rotterdam at Port Elizabeth. Since then, containerization and steadily growing maritime trade has played an increasingly important role in the world economy and APM Terminals is proud to have been at the vanguard of the industry, providing the essential port infrastructure required for the handling of all seaborne cargoes and ongoing global economic development.
The company emerged as the preferred bidder and eventually won the competitive and technical bid in 2006 to emerge as the concessionaire as the Apapa Container Terminal.
Shonekan made this disclosure in Lagos last week at a ceremony to mark APM Terminals’ five years of operations at the Apapa Container Terminal, Lagos.
The fifth year anniversary, which was celebrated at the company’s facility in Apapa, coincided with the official commissioning of its newly-built administrative building.
The Chairman said that since it took over the facility in 2006, the company has so far spent about N28 billion ($180 million).
He noted that the company has been able to increase the monthly throughput from 20,000 twenty equivalent units (TEUs) in 2006 when it took over operations to 42,000 TEUs, while vessels waiting time has been reduced from over seven days to 2.4 days.
“As a global leader in port terminal management, we have standards that we must maintain in our operations. This is why we are always engaged in one activity or the other to improve our operations and make delivery of cargo easier for our customers. For example a few years ago, we installed new heavy duty Rubber Tyred Gantry cranes to improve on our service and give our customers more satisfaction and also improved the turnaround of vessels that are patronizing our terminal,” Shonekan said.
The former Head of Interim National Government (ING) added that, despite the challenging operating environment, the company has continued to try its best in the circumstances not only to improve shipping and port terminal activities but to also set the pace in port management in the country.
“Today we are here to commission this new administrative office building as part of the expansion of the container terminal. The office will enable us to improve our operations. It will also enable us to have more space outside for temporary stacking of customers’ containers”.
Also speaking, Managing Director of APM Terminals Apapa Limited, Mr. Dallas Hampton, said that the feat was achieved through the collaborative efforts of all stakeholders and the employees of the company.
He added that the company will continue to improve on its human capacity development in order to improve port management activities and give more satisfaction to its numerous customers.
Dignitaries, who graced the occasion included Managing Director of Mearsk Nigeria Limited, Mr. David Skov; representative of the Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority, Mr. Sunny Nwobi; Chairperson, Seaport Terminal Operators Association of Nigeria (STOAN) and Executive Vice Chairman of ENL Consortium, Princess Vicky Haastrup; representative of the Port Manager Lagos Port Complex Apapa, Hajiya Ali Ibrahim; Zonal Cordinator Zone ‘A’ Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Assistant Comptroller General of customs, Olufemi Taylor and Area Controller, Apapa Area one Command, NCS, Comptroller Suleiman Idris.
Others were the representatives of shipping companies and freight forwarding groups.
APM Terminals offers the global shipping community a geographically balanced, integrated Global Port, Terminal and Inland Services Network which includes 54 operating container facilities in 34 countries with 13 new terminal development or expansion projects underway, along with 121 Inland Services locations in 48 countries.
Staffed by 22,000 professionals across 63 countries and spanning five continents, the company serves every major trade lane with a truly global presence, providing customers with the most advanced terminal technology, equipment and operations in the industry.
APM Terminals has been a major part of the development of the container shipping industry, and it is a role and responsibility the company says it does not take lightly.
APM Terminals was established as an independent division within the A.P. Moller-Maersk Group in 2001, moving its corporate offices from Copenhagen to The Hague in 2004, and reporting results as a separate business entity within the Group as of 2008.
The company’s history in terminal operations began more than half a century ago with a general cargo facility at the Port of New York in 1958. Its heritage dates back through Sea-Land and the very first international container operations when the Sea-Land Fairland was loaded with 236 containers bound for Rotterdam at Port Elizabeth. Since then, containerization and steadily growing maritime trade has played an increasingly important role in the world economy and APM Terminals is proud to have been at the vanguard of the industry, providing the essential port infrastructure required for the handling of all seaborne cargoes and ongoing global economic development.
The company emerged as the preferred bidder and eventually won the competitive and technical bid in 2006 to emerge as the concessionaire as the Apapa Container Terminal.