LAGOS, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- German shipping giant Hapag-Lloyd on Tuesday announced that it has set up a representative office in Lagos, Nigeria's economic hub and one of the most important port cities in Africa.
Nigeria is well-connected to the global Hapag-Lloyd network, and with the new office, the company moves even closer to customers in the region, said Vishal Bundhun, the company's West Africa managing director in a statement reaching Xinhua.
Bundhun said Nigeria plays a crucial role in the container liner's growth strategy on the continent, as the largest economy and one of the most populous countries in Africa.
Nigeria is the economic powerhouse of West Africa with large oil reserves and a growing middle class. The country imports everything from industrial machinery to electronic appliances, and exports cocoa beans, cashews, and other agricultural products.
"Hapag-Lloyd has been expanding its business steadily in West Africa over the past years," said Dheeraj Bhatia, senior managing director for Middle East region of Hapag-Lloyd in the statement.
"Our new office in Lagos will create further growth for us and will help us to even better connect Nigeria to the world," Bhatia added.
Headquartered in Hamburg, Hapag-Lloyd AG is a leading global liner shipping company that reaches 600 ports worldwide. Enditem
