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Positioned strategically at the entry-
point to Lagos harbour and just
a quick ferry from the mainland,
LADOL stands for ‘Lagos Deep
Offshore Logistics’. It is a 100 hectare
development that provides a custom-
built, one-stop-shop for multinational
industrial and oil and gas companies
operating in West Africa. Only 30%
of the base is currently developed.
There is potential, through land
reclamation, to enlarge the facility to
140 hectares. Total investment to date
is a staggering $500m, making it the
largest privately-financed logistics
base in Nigeria.
LADOL’s founders (LiLe – Lagos
Integrated Logistics Enterprise) began
planning in the year 2000, with a vision
of creating the first purpose-built, state-
of-the-art logistics and engineering
base west of the Niger Delta. LADOL
was conceived and designed to be an
efficient, fully integrated, secure and
independent engineering and logistics
base operating in the LADOL Free
Zone for deep offshore oil and gas
projects.
Island Hub
Now the region’s largest base for
turnkey rig and vessel repair, LADOL
also provides operations with a wide
range of services and facilities –
from cargo handling and inventory
management to onsite hotel and
recreational facilities. LADOL is an
efficient and hassle-free haven in which
clients and Free Zone companies
work, sleep and relax. LADOL claim
that fabrication costs can be reduced
by half, compared to alternatives, by
locating here.
Investing in a new location is a key business decision,
especially in a developing market,
David Priestman
travelled
to Lagos, Nigeria to report on a major logistics facility for the
West Africa region.
Strategic vision
Amy Jadesimi, Managing Director
of LADOL, told me, “What we do
is strategic, 24/7 world-class, cost-
effective logistics solutions. We control
the whole thing, including health and
safety. You could call it a ‘disruptive’
technology in the sense that it’s a
game changer here. From raw jungle
we built a town, investing $100m
before the first client arrived. My role is
to sell LADOL.”
The Free Zone offers a favourable
tax climate, exempt from federal
and local taxes, and offers a range
of government incentives to foreign
investors, including 100% ownership of
the investment (unlike in the U.A.E., for
example) and full repatriation of capital
and dividends. Other benefits include
the free importation of items that will
be consumed in the Free Zone and
vehicle registration.
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Logistics Business Magazine | November 2015
REGIONAL PROFILE