Hapag-Lloyd continues to grow in West Africa and opens a new office in Nigeria

Last month Hapag-Lloyd opened its new office in Lagos, Nigeria. As the largest economy and one of the most populous countries in Africa, Nigeria plays a crucial role in the container liner’s growth strategy on the continent. Lagos is one of the most important port cities in Africa.

“We are happy to welcome the new team and our country manager Florian Nittscher to the Hapag-Lloyd family!” says Vishal Bundhun, Managing Director Area West Africa at Hapag-Lloyd. “Via the Middle East India Africa Express (MIAX) and the Mediterranean West Africa Express (MWX), Nigeria is well-connected to the global Hapag-Lloyd network. With our new office, we move even closer to our customers in the region.”

Nigeria is the economic powerhouse of West Africa. With large oil reserves and a growing middle class, the country imports everything from industry machinery to electronic appliances. Nigeria’s main exports are cocoa beans, cashews, and other agricultural products.

In addition to locally, the opening was also celebrated in Dubai, South Africa and Ghana. What’s more, colleagues from around the globe – including our CEO, Rolf Habben Jansen – virtually followed the festivities, which included Nigerian dancers and a cake-cutting ceremony.

Rolf Habben Jansen welcomed the new team members to the Hapag-Lloyd family and stressed how important Nigeria’s market is when it comes to reaching the goals of the company’s strategy for Africa. “Our new Nigerian colleagues, but also the entire Area, have the continuous and full support of the Executive Board,” he said.

Dheeraj Bathia, Senior Managing Director of Region Middle East, congratulated the team for all the excellent work they had put in to open the new office in these particularly difficult times. “I am very confident that the team will fully deliver on our strategy. Our new office in Lagos will create further growth for us and will help us to even better connect Nigeria to the world,” Dheeraj added.