Dispatcher at Lekki Freeport Terminal

Lekki Freeport Terminal (LFT) operates as the container terminal at Lekki Deep Sea Port, which is Nigeria's first true deep-sea port and one of the most advanced maritime gateways in West Africa. Strategically positioned within the Lagos Free Zone in Ibeju-Lekki, LFT is dedicated to connecting global trade to Nigeria in a sustainable manner, utilising robust automation, digitisation, and innovation from the moment vessels board to the delivery of cargo while adhering to international safety standards.

The terminal takes advantage of deep water, with a draft of up to 16.5 m, and modern ship-to-shore capabilities, enabling it to accommodate large vessels and handle significant cargo volumes. This is part of a port complex designed to scale for millions of TEUs annually. The depth and infrastructure of the terminal contribute to reducing logistics costs and alleviating congestion along the Lagos corridor, establishing LFT as a key driver of regional trade growth. As Nigeria’s latest maritime gateway, LFT provides world-class port operations, integrating cutting-edge equipment, data-driven processes, and a culture of innovation to ensure faster, safer, and more reliable cargo flows for both shippers and shipping lines.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Dispatcher

Location: Ibeju Lekki, Lagos
Employment Type: Full-time
Department: Operations
Reporting to: Assistant Manager - Planning
Indirect Reporting to: Operations Planning Manager
Date Of Revision: 22/02/2022
Revised by: Leandro Rangel

Position Summary

• The Dispatcher supports both project implementation and live terminal operations, helping ensure systems, processes, and teams are ready for operational launch.
• During operations, the role focuses on monitoring activities, allocating equipment efficiently, and coordinating across departments to maintain smooth workflow and maximize productivity.
• The dispatcher proactively identifies potential issues such as congestion or delays and takes action to resolve them in real time.
• They also oversee vessel, yard, and gate dispatching activities to ensure operations align with planning and achieve optimal equipment utilization.
• Strong communication, multitasking, and the ability to work under pressure are essential to maintain KPIs, safety standards, and seamless operations.

Job Purpose
Project Phase:

• As a support to the superuser team, engage in project implementation activities ensuring planning and operations department are built, designed and ready for the operational go live.

Operational Phase:

• Responsible to execute the live operations monitoring, ensuring effective distribution of equipment within single or multiple pools based on deployment and operational requirements, while communicating efficiently with internal stakeholders and taking proactive actions in anticipation of discrepancies or foreseen problems that may arise, finding solutions to ensure maximum terminal productivity.

Major Job Responsibilities
Project Phase:

• Actively follow and promote the LFT Safety and Security policies and ensure that fellow employees and visitors are doing the same.
• Support LFT operations superusers on preparation of standard procedures of operations department.
• Support LFT operations superusers on preparation of training manuals for internal training programs.
• Support LFT operations superusers on development and execution of end user training on overall departmental processes and terminal applications (i.e., TOS).
• Share operational requirements and assist TOS vendor on TOS setting and configuration in teamwork with IT, superusers and operations management.
• Set & configure vessel advanced tools in TOS: Stow factors, auto-stow, shift templates etc.
• Involvement on preparation and execution of individual and integrated test cases in teamwork with other sections.
• Execute test cases in testing platform to validate TOS functionality during TOS implementation.
• Be involved on several tests demand during TOS implementation and interfaces as required.
• Report issues and results of executed tests and follow up solutions.
• Involve on implementation best practices.

Operational Phase:

• Actively follow and promote the LFT Safety and Security policies and ensure that fellow employees and visitors are doing the same.
• Keep close communication with peers (i.e execution, planning, gate, technical staff, Resource planning) for, manpower deployment, troubleshooting issues and solving problems during operations and assigned to required pools on TOS.
• Ensure all equipment needed for terminal operations is ready and available prior to beginning of operations.
• Ensure the optimum utilization of all equipment deployed during the designated shift period by monitoring equipment work queues and allocating equipment where required to achieve maximum productivity.
• Monitor EC console and equipment idle times.
• Monitor continuous operations using the “hot seat” changeover at shift changeover times and rest break changeovers.
• Ensure all operations are executed in accordance with priorities set by the Managers and planning executed by Planners.
• By monitoring all queues and pools, needs to anticipate, and reduce any possible future conflict, congestion, or issues in operations.
• Maintain a watch over terminal area for unsafe working practices.
• Report any problem areas of operations and implement the agreed changes to resolve the problems.

Vessel / Barge Dispatching:

• Ensure crane sequence of vessel/Barge discharge & load operations is according to plan by monitoring all queues and work instructions to achieve the highest possible Quay Crane productivity.
• By monitoring all queues and pools, needs to anticipate, and reduce any possible future conflict, congestion, or issues at the quayside.

Yard and Gate Dispatching:

• Ensure smooth and speedy movement of containers to and from the Gate and examination area.
• Dispatch and monitor work queues and work instructions from the GOS
• Plan and dispatch housekeeping moves once required or based on pre-planning process.
• Manually dispatches equipment for movements that are not in an automatic dispatch queue, such as off-loading of broken-down trucks in the yard, truck to truck transloading, cross stuffing, etc.
• Monitor the road queue and TIP list to control long standing trucks in the yard

Critical Success Factors
Project Phase:

• Achieve and maintain all terminal KPIs.
• Project milestones related to operations are achieved and having no delays.

Operational Phase:

• Achieve and maintain all terminal KPIs.
• Efficient utilization of terminal equipment`s.
• Reduced operational delays.
• All updates in N4 are executed as per SOP.
• Zero discrepancies between planning and execution.
• Seamless handover between shifts.

Qualifications & Experiences

Major Competencies:

Job Dimension:

Application Closing Date
6th June, 2026.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online