The Port of Apapa is the port for the City of Lagos in the Rivers Province of Nigeria. Located west of Lagos Island across the harbor from the city, Apapa is one of the country’s administrative local government areas. Lagos Port has three major components, Lagos, Apapa, and Tin Can Island.

The Nigerian Ports Authority regulates all major ports in Nigeria, including the Port of Apapa. While the agency is being privatized, its mission is to contribute to national economy and well-being through efficient management of port operations, optimal allocation and use of resources, diversification of revenue sources, and maintaining adequate returns on investments.

The Port of Apapa contains an important container terminal that the Nigerian Government owned and operated until sold to a Danish firm, AP Moller-Maersk Group in 2005. The Port of Apapa Quay is the primary outlet for the country’s exports. The Port of Apapa is the country’s biggest port, handling a wide range of commodities. The Port of Apapa contains facilities specialized in handling wheat, oil, cement, fish, dry cargo, and containers.

The Port of Apapa Container Terminal covers 44 hectares and can handle up to 22 thousand TEUs of containerized cargo. With six berths with alongside depth of 10.5 meters and total quay length of 950 meters, the Port of Apapa Container Terminal also contains 6.4 thousand square meters of covered storage. The container yard has capacity for 19.5 thousand TEUs, and it contains 298 reefer plugs.

Just over 50 kilometers west of the Port of Apapa is the ancient town of Badagry. Founded in the early 15th Century, it served the Oyo Empire made up of the Ogu and Yoruba peoples. Slaves were brought here from West Africa to be transported to the Americas, and it is believed that at least 550 thousand Africans were transported to North America during the United States’ first years of independence. From the Badagry slave port, slaves also went to Europe, the Caribbean, and South America. As the major source of income for Europeans in the town, the slave trade left many reminders: buildings, cultural artifacts, and memories. Badagry’s slave trade area is being preserved so that the world can learn about this dark past.

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