This milestone marks a significant advancement in maritime trade between China and Nigeria, reducing transit times and enhancing logistics efficiency, BusinessDay reported.

By providing the quickest passage time on this route—just 27 days—the MV Great Cotonou, owned by the international shipping behemoth Grimaldi Group, which also runs PTML Terminal, is poised to revolutionize regional trade.

This direct service guarantees quicker and more dependable delivery for Nigerian importers, removing delays and extra handling expenses, in contrast to alternative shipping options that call for transshipment at intermediate ports.

What this means

Nigerian companies may now receive vehicles, such as automobiles, vans, trucks, and project cargo, on the same vessel as containerized freight thanks to this cutting-edge service.

A significant logistical benefit of this innovative multimodal transport option is that it streamlines supply chains and lowers importers' overall expenses.

Modern infrastructure, convenient port access, and a committed staff to guarantee smooth operations make PTML Terminal well-suited to manage this new service.

The advantages of this direct shipping route will be further increased by the terminal's extremely effective cargo-handling capabilities.

Key players in the maritime industry attended a high-profile welcoming event to celebrate the vessel's arrival. Speaking at the event, Russo stated, “The arrival of the Great Cotonou at PTML represents a pivotal moment for Nigerian importers.

This service will significantly reduce transit times and logistics costs while offering unmatched convenience by accommodating various types of cargo in a single shipment.”

“We have the infrastructure, the expertise, the human capital and we will offer a great service to our importers and exporters. The arrival of this ship and this new service will definitely create many more opportunities for our terminal, workers, host community and Nigeria as a whole.

“This is the largest container-roro ship coming to Africa and we have upgraded our facilities to receive this kind of ship. We have recently acquired a massive mobile-harbor crane which cost more than USD10 million. Also, we had to upgrade our infrastructure, quayside with investment in excess of USD5 million just to accommodate these ships,” Russo said.

Also speaking, Andrea Grimaldi said, “Our goal is to create a fast and efficient trade link between Shanghai and West Africa, particularly Lagos. The Great Cotonou offers a direct connection with a rapid 27-day transit. We are starting with Shanghai, but as demand grows, we plan to expand our coverage to other Chinese ports and beyond.”