The Lomé Container Terminal (LCT) is expecting the delivery of nine new container carriers in the second quarter of 2026. These are intended to support the terminal's expansion and cope with rising throughput volumes.

LCT operates as a joint venture between China Merchants Port Holdings and Terminal Investment Limited, a subsidiary of the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), the world's largest container shipping line. LCT serves as the primary platform for container handling at the Port of Lomé and benefits from the port's strategic location within West African transhipment flows. The landlocked countries of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger have concluded agreements with Togo on the use of the port. Connections to Nigeria are also gaining in importance.

Terminal capacity has been increased in recent years from 2 to 2.5 million TEU. In September 2025, dredging works were completed that deepened the access channel to 18.6 metres and widened the turning basin to 550 metres. These upgrades now enable the port to handle even the largest container vessels currently in operation, with a capacity of 19,000 to 24,000 TEU. This development is linked to MSC's strategy of deploying 24,000 TEU vessels to the region since 2025 in order to meet rising demand in key markets such as Nigeria.

The Togolese hub faces, however, increasing competition from other West African ports such as Tema, Lagos, Cotonou and Abidjan. In 2025, Abidjan led the region in total volume with 46.6 million tonnes. In the container segment, where Lomé previously dominated, Tema and Lagos have already surpassed the threshold of 2 million TEU.