The Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority, Dr Abubakar Dantsoho, says six Nigerian ports are grappling with decrepit infrastructure.
While determined to ensure that the Nigerian ports take advantage of the intra-African trade that is expected to increase with the coming into operation of the African Continental Free Trade Area, Dantsoho said the NPA is taking steps to reposition the Nigerian ports to improve its competitive strategy to stay ahead of its rival ports.
He spoke during his presentation at the Nigerian-British Chamber of Commerce Maritime and Logistics event in Lagos on Tuesday, with the theme: ‘Improving the competitiveness of the Nigerian ports in an era of regional integration,’ according to a statement on Wednesday.
Speaking about port modernisation projects, he envisaged that this would position Nigerian ports at the edge of competition and improve efficiency.
Dantsoho disclosed, “Aside from the newly developed Lekki Deep Seaport, the remaining six ports in the country are grappling with decrepit infrastructure, ranging from silted channels to collapsed breakwaters and quays.
“It is consequent upon this that the authority has embarked on a port modernisation project aimed at revamping the dilapidated infrastructure. The Lagos Port Complex and Tin Can Island Port Complex will serve as pilot projects,” he said.
The NPA boss mentioned that it is envisaged that intra-African trade will significantly increase with the collapse of trade barriers across Africa, saying it is imperative that the Nigerian ports reposition to be competitive in order not to lose its gateway traffic to the ports.
“Our vision is to be the Maritime Logistics Hub for sustainable port services in Africa,” he affirmed.
The NPA MD further said, “In the quest for our nation to optimise the benefits accruable from AFCFTA, there is no gainsaying that port plays a pivotal role as a nodal point in international logistics. Given the fact that port cost is a significant component of freight cost, which ultimately affects the prices of goods in the market, this speaks to the imperative for our ports to be competitive and efficient.
“This requires the strategic collaboration of every player in the port system for this to be actualised,” Dantsoho said.
He explained that port competitiveness is driven mainly by institution, infrastructure, and macroeconomics, saying strong institutions provide the regulatory and governance framework necessary for stable and predictable business operations, while infrastructure is a cornerstone of port competitiveness, influencing both operational efficiency and long-term strategic viability.
“The quality of infrastructure affects transport costs, trade efficiency, and overall competitiveness. Investments in inland terminals, logistic zones, and rail networks can expand a port’s influence beyond its traditional hinterland and bring about efficiency that makes the port competitive,” he said.
Similarly, the NPA MD noted that the macroeconomic environment of a country is intricately linked to its ports’ performance and competitiveness, saying factors such as inflation, exchange rates, and economic stability influence trade flows and investments.
Dantsoho expressed gratitude to the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Gboyega Oyetola, for his support of every step the authority is taking to reposition the Nigerian ports.
He also disclosed that the Lekki Deep Seaport has been a game changer, saying with the commencement of its operation, NPA’s cargo and vessel traffic has gained traction along with the growth of transshipment traffic.
He affirmed that the country has a few new deep seaport projects underway- the Badagry, Ibom, Calabar, and others- adding that with the right and skilled manpower deployed to these new ports, Nigerian ports will certainly be competitive.
Dantsoho disclosed that the NPA, in collaboration with the Nigeria Customs Service, approved the establishment of six Export Processing Terminals in the Lagos area.
His words: “All export cargoes are processed and certified fit before proceeding to the ports for loading on vessels. The establishment of the EPTs has seen our exports grow over time.”
On the Truck E-Call-Up System, the NPA MD asserted that there is a correlation between port operation and hinterland evacuation of cargo, stressing that in order to clear the encumbrances in the port access corridor in the Lagos Pilotage District, the authority engaged the services of Messrs. Trucks Transit Park for a real-time solution to the hitherto congestion caused by port bound trucks.
“Over 70,000 trucks have registered with the company, where they are electronically scheduled to deliver containers in the ports. The major achievement of this effort is that the authority has freed up the port access roads in Lagos and has greatly improved the ease of doing business,” it was added.
