Lagos Free Zone and CEVA Logistics have signed a joint venture agreement to develop an integrated logistics platform in West Africa, aiming to streamline trade flows into the region’s largest consumer markets.
The deal, approved by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission and signed in April 2026, gives CEVA a majority stake in the venture, according to a statement issued the same month by the partners. The companies did not disclose financial terms.
The partnership combines CEVA’s global freight and contract logistics network with Lagos Free Zone’s port-based industrial infrastructure, anchored by the Lekki Deep Sea Port. The project will establish a warehouse operated by a global logistics firm within the zone, a first for the facility, targeting multinational manufacturers distributing goods across West Africa.
The move reflects growing investor interest in Nigeria’s trade infrastructure as companies look to reduce bottlenecks at congested ports and improve delivery timelines across the Economic Community of West African States. For importers, the joint venture offers duty-free export access from the free zone into regional markets, potentially lowering costs and shortening supply chains.
Chief Executive Officer of Lagos Free Zone, Adesuwa Ladoja, said the venture is designed to integrate port access, industrial operations and logistics into a single platform. “By aligning port capabilities with industrial infrastructure and logistics services, we are positioning the zone as a distribution hub for West Africa,” she said in the April 2026 statement announcing the agreement.
At the centre of that proposition is the Lekki corridor, where Nigeria has invested in deep-sea port capacity to handle larger vessels and reduce reliance on older facilities in Apapa and Tin Can Island. The free zone’s proximity to the port allows cargo to move directly into bonded warehouse facilities, cutting handling time.
The companies said a recently introduced customs initiative, known as the Lagos Free Zone Green Channel, launched in February 2026 by the Nigeria Customs Service, is expected to further accelerate cargo movement. The corridor allows shipments to move between the port and the free zone within hours rather than days, reducing demurrage charges and improving supply chain predictability for manufacturers.
Jean-Baptiste Rambaud, Vice President for Air and Ocean Product at CEVA for India, the Middle East and Africa, said the investment is part of a broader push to expand the company’s footprint in African growth markets. “This facility completes a logistics chain that connects global production centres to West African consumers with fewer disruptions,” he said.
West Africa, with its fast-growing and relatively young population, is increasingly targeted by consumer goods manufacturers seeking new demand centres. However, logistics inefficiencies, including port congestion, customs delays and fragmented inland transport networks, have historically raised the cost of doing business in the region.
The joint venture aims to address those gaps by offering end-to-end logistics services, from ocean freight and port handling to warehousing and regional distribution. By consolidating these functions within a single ecosystem, the partners say companies can focus on production and sales rather than supply chain coordination.
Lagos Free Zone, promoted by Singapore-based Tolaram, spans about 860 hectares and is designed as an integrated industrial and logistics hub. It hosts multinational tenants across sectors, including food processing, consumer goods and light manufacturing. Its “single window” clearance system is intended to simplify regulatory processes for businesses operating within the zone.
CEVA Logistics, headquartered in Marseille, operates in more than 170 countries and provides contract logistics as well as air, ocean and ground freight services. The company reported revenue of $18.3 billion in 2025 and is part of the CMA CGM Group, a global shipping and logistics conglomerate.
Analysts say the success of the venture will depend on execution, particularly the reliability of customs processes and inland transport links connecting the free zone to Nigeria’s broader market. Still, the combination of deep-sea port access and integrated logistics infrastructure gives the project a structural advantage over legacy supply routes.
If fully implemented, the Lagos Free Zone–CEVA platform could serve as a gateway for goods entering West Africa, offering a more predictable alternative to traditional port systems and positioning Nigeria as a regional distribution hub.