NIGERIA-LAGOS-CHINA-LEKKI-PORT-FREE TRADE ZONE

Employees work at a tire factory in the Lekki Free Trade Zone in Lagos, Nigeria, on Nov. 30, 2024. The Lekki Port and the Lekki Free Trade Zone are both located in the Lekki Peninsula of Lagos, Nigeria's largest city. The Lekki Port, a commercial cooperation project constructed by China Harbour Engineering Company Ltd., stands as Nigeria's first deep seaport and one of the largest of its kind in West Africa. The port began commercial operations in April 2023, with a designed capacity to handle 1.2 million standard containers annually. The Lekki Free Trade Zone, developed and operated by China Railway Construction Corporation, spans 30 square kilometers. The duo of port and free trade zone gave birth to a synergistic development model, which significantly shortens cargo transport time, boosts Nigeria's foreign trade, and injects new momentum into the local economy. (Photo by Wang Guansen/Xinhua via Getty Images)