Nigeria opens 'game changer' billion-dollar port

STORY: Nigeria opened a billion-dollar Chinese-built port in Lagos on Monday (January 23).

The Lekki Deep Sea Port is expected to ease congestion elsewhere and help Nigeria become an African hub for transshipment - the handling of cargos in transit for other destinations.

‘’This project could create at least 200,000 jobs and those jobs mean income."

China's ambassador to Nigeria is Cui Jianchun.

‘’Today is really a special day for China and Nigeria, and Nigeria and China, and I think that is very very important, this is a transformative project, a game changer project, not only for the engine of the economy for Nigeria, for West Africa."

China is among the largest bilateral lenders to Nigeria and has funded rail, roads and power stations.

Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari has made building infrastructure a key pillar of his government's economic policy.

He hopes it will help his ruling party win votes during next month's presidential election.

The new port is 75% owned by the China Harbour Engineering Company and Singapore-based Tolaram Group, with the balance shared between the Lagos state government and the Nigerian Ports Authority.