Russia’s trade mission in Nigeria announced on April 26 the launching of a new commercial sea route that will connect Russia with the Nigerian port of Lagos, and all of West Africa, that is expected to cut container shipping costs by half. According to Sputnik, “the roughly 5,350 nautical mile (9,890 km) route originates in the Russian Black Sea port of Novorossiysk, running south and west through the Mediterranean, past Gibraltar and around and down the west coast of Africa to the strategic Nigerian port of Lagos.” They report that the first sailing is set for May 15.
“The route is expected to dramatically strengthen Russia’s economic and strategic cooperation potential with West African countries,” Sputnik reported, facilitating Russian exports of “foodstuffs, machinery and transportation equipment to Nigeria, and imports of cotton from Mali, a top regional producer.… In the future, it’s expected to extend to Senegal’s Dakar port, another major port in West Africa.”
