SACO Shipping has expanded its West African presence with the opening of a new office in Apapa, Lagos, and a branch in Port Harcourt.
The Nigerian operation would provide LCL import services through the ports of Lagos and Onne, said SACO Shipping West Africa director Ian Treder.
Clients will also have access to FCL import solutions and global airfreight import services through SACO’s wider group. The airfreight services will be provided through the Air Cargo Group and SACO Air, according to Treder.
Lagos would receive direct bi-monthly sailings from Hamburg, Antwerp, Durban, Mumbai and Ningbo, while Onne would be served by a bi-monthly sailing from Hamburg, he said.
Cargo originating in markets including the United States, Australia, Italy and France could also be routed into Nigeria through SACO’s international network, said Treder.
The company established a presence in Nigeria in response to growing demand for neutral and reliable consolidation services.
“Nigeria is a strategic hub for West African trade, but infrastructure constraints, market volatility and fragmented consolidation services have historically presented challenges for freight forwarders,” Treder said.
The new operation would give forwarders access to more predictable groupage schedules and direct connections with Europe, Asia and southern Africa, reducing dependence on routes involving multiple transhipments, he added.
It will operate as a neutral LCL consolidator, serving freight forwarders without competing with them for shipper business.
The Nigerian offices would connect with SACO’s South African operations in Durban, Cape Town, Johannesburg and Gqeberha, as well as its West African network in Abidjan, Tema, Dakar, Cotonou and Conakry, said Treder.
“This will strengthen the connections available for LCL cargo moving between southern and West Africa and link Nigeria more closely with SACO’s wider global network,” he said.
The Lagos office is situated off Oduduwa Road in the Apapa Government Reserved Area.
The operation was established by Treder, who will oversee it from SACO’s European base.
Nigerian LCL volumes were expected to grow as the country’s economy diversified and demand for imports increased, he said.
Lagos and Onne also had the potential to develop as regional gateways for cargo moving through West Africa, Treder added.
