Port congestion: SIFAX expands Ijora terminal

SIFAX Group has commenced the expansion of terminal at Ijora area of Lagos, a move it said will ease congestion at the Lagos ports.

The company in a statement by its Corporate Affairs Manager, Muyiwa Akande, said the contract for pavement has been awarded to the China Civil Engineering and Construction Company (CCECC).

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Akande said SIFAX group has operated for a little over 15 months and that following a growing customer base as well as increasing demand, the company’s Shipping ICT Limited, a subsidiary of SIFAX Group and operator of the Ijora Inland Container Terminal, Lagos, has embarked on a massive expansion of the capacity of the terminal.

He said the terminal which was commissioned in October 2020, was established to alleviate the difficulties experienced by various port users, including truckers, shipping lines, agents and consignees, in accessing the Apapa ports due to the congestion within that area that has defied all solutions.

According to him, the terminal operates by moving consignments to its facility through barges for onward delivery to customers, thereby avoiding traffic congestion.

Group Executive Vice Chairman, SIFAX Group, Dr Taiwo Afolabi, said: “It sounds so unbelievable that the off-dock terminal is just one year old, going by the impact made in such a short period of time.”

It was learnt that the terminal has consequently acquired adjoining properties to increase its total capacity from the 15,000 square meters at inception to 83,000 square meters.

At the contract signing ceremony in Lagos, Paul vd Linden, Managing Director, SIFAX Shipping ICT Limited, was quoted to have said the strategic nature of the terminal and the need to build a durable infrastructure at the facility necessitated the choice of contracted firm.