APM Terminals is expanding its reliance on barging and inland container facilities as part of a new exclusive lease agreement aimed at easing pressure on Apapa roads and improving cargo evacuation from Nigeria’s busiest port corridor.
The agreement, which runs until September 2031, is designed to increase handling capacity and strengthen barge-based evacuation, offering shipping lines and cargo owners an alternative to road transport amid persistent congestion around Apapa.
Keith Svendsen, chief executive of APM Terminals, said the company sees sustained growth in Nigeria’s container market and is positioning its Lagos operations for long-term expansion through improved logistics and terminal modernisation. “The Nigerian market has shown solid growth throughout 2025 and APM Terminals strongly believes in the development of the market in the years ahead,” he said.
The facilities include two waterfront and inland container terminals as well as barge services that will offer an alternative to road transportation which the terminal says will ease the pressure on road-side transport via trucking, reducing traffic congestion, and reducing logistics-related costs.
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Frederik Klinke, managing director of APM Terminals Nigeria, on his part, said improved barge services would enhance reliability and speed for customers while “optimising our coordination across the supply chain.”
Barging Marine Solutions, which will operate the services for APM Terminals and the companies, said the partnership would allow it to leverage its barge fleet and terminal network to provide additional capacity and more predictable cargo movement for APM Terminals’ customers.
APM Terminals handles roughly half of Nigeria’s containerised trade across its facilities, including Apapa, Onne and Kano, and has continued to invest in multimodal solutions as container volumes rise.
