Over a thousand jobs have been created by Nigeria’s Lekki Deep Sea Port, but critics continue to question who actually benefits.
On any given night, you can observe the movement of the cranes by standing at the edge of the Lekki waterfront. The terminal is flooded with bright lights. In contrast to the chaotic energy of Lagos, the entire operation hums with a kind of mechanical discipline as ships berth and containers move. It really is impressive. However, impressive and equitable aren’t always the same thing, and that’s the tension that’s subtly growing around Nigeria’s most renowned and recent port.
The Lekki Deep Sea Port has processed nearly 500,000 TEUs, or Twenty-foot Equivalent Units, the standard measure of containerized cargo, since it opened for business in April 2023. In late December, Wang Qiang, the port’s CEO, proudly declared that the port had drawn over $2 billion in direct investment. Since September, the port’s throughput has increased monthly, and it is currently operating at almost half of its intended capacity. It is functioning according to all operational metrics.
However, the numbers at the beginning of this project’s history were much higher. The $1.5 billion facility came with huge promises when President Muhammadu Buhari put it into service in October 2022: 170,000 direct and indirect jobs, $361 billion in projected revenue over 45 years, and a revolutionary boost to Nigeria’s maritime economy. These numbers were displayed on TV screens, printed in newspapers, and repeated at podiums. Lagos residents heard them. They were heard by Nigeria.
The port has generated slightly more than 1,000 direct jobs in its two years of operation. The port’s own leadership came up with that figure, and it’s not insignificant—a thousand livelihoods is real and deserving of recognition. However, it’s still a long way from 170,000, and the skepticism resides in that distance. The port’s detractors don’t always claim that it has failed. More specifically, they want to know who failed and who succeeded.
The Nigerian Ports Authority granted Lekki Port LFTZ Enterprise Limited a 45-year concession to build the port using the Build, Own, Operate, and Transfer model. Wang Qiang, a Chinese national, is the managing director and CEO of China Harbour Engineering Company, which has a sizable stake in the project. This mix of foreign funding, foreign leadership, and lofty local promises has drawn attention that goes beyond job counts. In community conversations and among observers of the maritime sector, there is a perception that the concession’s structure was always biased in favor of outside interests obtaining the biggest profits while Nigeria took on the infrastructure and regulatory burden.
For his part, Wang has been open about what the port still requires. The Lekki corridor still lacks rail connectivity, which is necessary for the port to support the full extent of industrial activity. Currently, 10% of cargo movement is handled by barge operations; this is a workaround rather than a solution. Cargo dwell times still lag behind what automation should theoretically allow because customs digitization is only partially implemented. Closing these gaps is crucial if the port is to fulfill its long-term economic commitments.
It’s still unclear if the 170,000 job estimate was ever supported by a thorough analysis or if it was a political figure masquerading as an economic one, as ambitious infrastructure promises occasionally are. The distinction is important because the residents of that Lekki waterfront were given specific information about their futures while they watched those cranes move at midnight. They currently lead a far more modest life. Over time, the port might fulfill its promises. However, the beneficiaries must genuinely include Nigeria, and the growth must be tracked honestly.
