The Nigerian Ports Authority was honoured over the weekend with the ‘Outstanding Agency of the Year Award 2025’ at an awards ceremony organised by Champions Newspapers in Lagos.
The Managing Director of NPA, Dr Abubakar Dantsoho, who was represented by the agency’s General Manager of Corporate Affairs, Ikechukwu Onyemekara, described the award as recognition of his vigorous leadership in implementing smart initiatives that align with the NPA’s vision to become the maritime logistics hub for sustainable port services in Africa.
The agency announced this in a statement on Sunday obtained by The PUNCH.
According to the statement, Dantsoho highlighted the invaluable support of the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, which he said has been instrumental in achieving these remarkable successes.
He stressed that some of the achievements recorded by the agency include “sustained port efficiencies contributing to Nigeria’s year-on-year trade surplus of N7.5tn and N6.7tn in the second quarter and third quarter of 2025 (per National Bureau of Statistics and Nigerian Economic Summit Group reports), driven mainly by exports via NPA platforms.
“Successful execution of President Bola Tinubu’s policy for crude and petroleum product sales in naira, saving billions in foreign exchange, enhancing energy security, improving trade balance, and creating jobs; completion of Nigeria’s membership in the International Port Community Systems Association, paving the way for the National Single Window project; and technical guidance enabling a significant rise in transhipment cargo at Lekki Deep Seaport, serving landlocked neighbours and recovering cargo lost to competing ports,” Dantsoho stated.
He added that these successes position the NPA to deliver major 2025 projects, including the “$1bn reconstruction of Tincan Island Port Complex, rehabilitation of key ports, new deep seaport developments, and eco-friendly operations. ”.
The NPA stressed that the Champions Newspaper conferred the award in appreciation of the NPA’s pivotal role as a leading trade facilitation platform driving national economic prosperity through Nigeria’s maritime endowments.
