KEY POINTS

• Sanwo-Olu says Lekki Port Phase 2 construction will start soon as the port nears full capacity.
• The expansion aims to boost cargo handling and deepen Lagos’s role as an AfCFTA gateway.
• Port chief Wang Qiang credits the state’s stable, investment-friendly environment.

Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has announced that work on Phase 2 of the Lekki Port project will begin soon, a move designed to strengthen the state’s position as West Africa’s leading maritime and logistics hub. He made the disclosure at the Invest Lagos Summit 3.0 in Lagos earlier this week, where he highlighted the state’s drive to expand critical infrastructure and attract investment.

A port nearing full capacity

According to Sanwo-Olu, the expansion will sharply enhance cargo handling, strengthen maritime trade and deepen Lagos’s role as a gateway to the African Continental Free Trade Area, a market of more than 1.4 billion people. Moreover, he argued that the trade bloc’s combined GDP of over $3 trillion gives the state a uniquely strategic position.

“The Lekki Deep Sea Port, within five years, is moving to phase two because it is almost reaching the full potential of its installed capacity,” he said. Furthermore, he stressed that the plans reflect delivery rather than mere ambition. “These are not just aspirations but projects that have been implemented and are under implementation. They have been funded, progressing, and transforming the investment landscape of our State,” he added.

Investors back the expansion

In his remarks, the Managing Director of Lekki Port, Wang Qiang, commended the Lagos State Government for maintaining a stable and investment-friendly environment. According to him, the next phase will expand operational and cargo-handling capacity, improve logistics efficiency along the Lekki corridor and attract additional global shipping and logistics investment.

Similarly, Qiang said the expansion aligns with Nigeria’s broader trade facilitation agenda and the rising demands of regional and international shipping networks. “We are deeply encouraged by the continued support of the Lagos State Government, whose infrastructure-led policies have created a stable and forward-looking environment for long-term maritime investment,” he said.

Consequently, both the state and the operator framed the new phase as a milestone for West African trade. “The commencement of the next phase of development represents a significant milestone in our journey to expand capacity, enhance operational efficiency, and strengthen Lekki Port’s position as a premier gateway for West African trade under the AfCFTA framework,” Qiang said. Ultimately, the project ties Lagos’s infrastructure push to a wider bid to capture growing continental trade and cement the port as a regional hub.