Nigeria-bound cargo transiting through Europe could arrive faster and cheaper after Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd said one of their joint shipping services will return to the Red Sea route, easing weeks of delays caused by diversions around southern Africa.
The companies, on Tuesday in an advisory, said that from mid-February 2026, the ME11 service, which connects India and the Middle East with the Mediterranean will be rerouted through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal.
“For ME11, the changes will be implemented on westbound sailings as of vessel Albert Maersk, voyage 605W, en route from Jebel Ali to India and expected to call the port of Mundra, departing from Mundra on February 4 2026. On eastbound sailings of vessel Astrid Maersk, voyage 605E, departing Valencia, Spain on February 4 2026,” they said.
By abandoning the lengthy detour around the Cape of Good Hope, the shipping service cuts the distance and costs between global manufacturers and West African arrival ports.
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“The miles will reduce significantly,” said Aminu Umar, a shipper and director on the board of the International Chamber of Shipping. He estimates a 50 percent cut in expected arrival time from the usual “30-40 days.”
Cargo from India and the Middle East could now reach Mediterranean hubs like Tangier Med in Morocco and Algeciras in Spain faster. Since Nigeria is served by shuttle services from these Mediterranean hubs, the faster the ships arrive at the hub, the sooner goods are loaded onto the smaller vessels bound for Lagos’ Apapa and Tin Can Island ports and Onne port in Rivers State.
The rerouting could also take some pressure off costs. Aminu predicted a drop in freight rates. “Surely you will see that the cost per container will surely come down, which will now bring a positive good impact on the freight,” he said.
Until late 2023, the Red Sea and Suez Canal were the default route for Asia–Europe shipping. Major container lines, including Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd, used it routinely due to cost affordability, and shorter arrival times.
They stopped after attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea escalated. Ships were being targeted with drones and missiles, and facing sharply higher war-risk insurance costs.
“It went so bad when they closed the canal which is shorter for vessels. That instigated additional costs in freight charges,” said Jonathan Nicol, former president of the Shippers Association of Lagos State. Traders, who encountered unprecedented risks, had to negotiate with the shipping companies in case of additional costs.
The shipping giants are still cautious.
“Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd will continue to monitor the security situation in the Middle East region very closely, and any alteration to the Gemini service will remain dependent on the ongoing stability in the Red Sea area and the absence of any escalation in conflicts in the region” they said.
The lines assured that “necessary security measures will be applied for vessels transiting the area.” adding that “contingency plans are in place should the security situation deteriorate, which may necessitate reverting individual sailings.”
Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd launched Gemini Cooperation, their operational collaboration on February 1, 2025. The cooperation’s network covers 29 shared mainliners and 29 shared shuttle services on East-West trade routes.
