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‎By Izuchukwu Ozoemena
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‎Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, His Excellency Adegboyega Oyetola has said the Federal Government is pursuing an ambitious programme aimed at transforming Nigeria’s maritime infrastructure and positioning the country as a maritime hub for West and Central Africa.
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‎The Minister disclosed this as Special Guest of Honour at the MAMAL 2026 organized in Lagos by the Maritime Reporters Association of Nigeria (MARAN).
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‎Represented by Mr Seyi Iyawe, General Manager, Corporate and Strategic Planning of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), the Minister announced that the administration had secured approval for comprehensive modernisation of Apapa, Tin Can Island and other ports, describing the intervention as a structural renewal rather than cosmetic rehabilitation.
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‎He said the programme would involve the rebuilding of key infrastructure, deeper channels capable of accommodating larger vessels, replacement of obsolete equipment and an overhaul of port operations.
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‎“Our objective is to create ports that can move cargo, accommodate larger vessels, reduce turnaround time and lower the cost per unit of cargo handled,” the Minister said.
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‎He also highlighted the government’s efforts to expand Nigeria’s deep-sea port capacity, saying the country could no longer depend exclusively on traditional ports.
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‎According to him, deep-sea ports would help decentralise cargo flows, reduce pressure on existing facilities, open new economic corridors and create opportunities for investment, employment and industrial development.
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‎Oyetola further cited investments in modern marine crafts including tugboats, mooring boats and pilot boats, as part of measures to improve vessel movement, safety and operational efficiency.
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‎He said Nigeria’s improved maritime security record was another major component of the government’s competitiveness strategy.
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‎According to the Minister, Nigeria has maintained a zero-piracy record in its territorial waters for four consecutive years, while strengthened security and compliance measures had also restored international confidence in Nigerian ports.
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‎On economic regulation to tackle tariff and anti-competitive practices,
‎Oyetola said the establishment of the Nigerian Ports Economic Regulatory Agency (NPERA) represented a major institutional reform designed to strengthen economic regulation in the sector.
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‎He said the new regulator would be empowered to enforce service standards, monitor tariffs, promote fair competition, address anti-competitive practices and protect port users from arbitrary and unpredictable charges.
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‎“The more competitive our ports become, the greater the volume of legitimate trade they will attract. The more efficient our ports become, the more attractive Nigeria becomes to investors,” he said.
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‎He added that the government’s philosophy was to move the maritime sector “from a culture of collecting charges to a culture of creating value.”
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‎The Minister said the Federal Government would continue to pursue port modernisation, stronger regulation, improved maritime security, deep-sea port development, digitalisation and efficiency in order to make Nigeria’s maritime sector investment-friendly and globally competitive.
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‎In his intervention, the Executive Director  (Operations and Technical) of Tantita Security Services Nigeria Ltd, Capt Warredi Enisuoh warned that efforts to modernise Nigerian ports would have limited impact unless equal attention was paid to what happens outside the port gates as the ports cannot be modernized without modernizing the exits.
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‎Enisuoh, the  Chairman of the occasion, said Nigeria must adopt a broader approach to port modernisation that incorporates cargo evacuation, road infrastructure, rail, inland waterways, truck management and the reduction of multiple checkpoints and collection points.
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‎“You cannot modernise a port without modernising your exit point,” he said.
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‎According to him, automating operations inside Apapa or Tin Can Island would not eliminate congestion if cargo evacuation remained inefficient.
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‎He pointed to the Port of Lomé in Togo as an example of how strategic investment in deeper channels and streamlined processes could enhance a port’s competitiveness.
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‎Enisuoh noted that the growth in vessel sizes globally made deeper ports increasingly important, observing that some modern container ships now have capacities of more than 20,000 TEUs, far beyond the capacity of many traditional ports and anchorages in the region.
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‎He argued that Nigeria must urgently deepen and expand its port infrastructure to accommodate larger vessels and compete effectively with neighbouring maritime gateways.
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‎The Tantita boss also criticised the multiplicity of agencies and processes confronting shipping agents and port users in Nigeria.
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‎According to him, operators are often required to interface separately with agencies including the NPA, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA and Nigeria Customs Service, NCS resulting in delays and additional costs.
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‎He advocated a genuine one-stop-shop system in which port users could complete multiple regulatory and payment requirements through an integrated platform.
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‎Enisuoh further urged the Federal Government to look beyond Lagos and develop Nigeria’s numerous ports as part of a coordinated national maritime strategy rather than concentrating virtually all major port activity in Lagos.
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‎He said the country must develop viable alternatives in other parts of the coastline to distribute cargo, reduce pressure on Lagos and create more efficient trade corridors into the hinterland.
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‎Congestion and poor road infrastructure in Lagos, he warned, could undermine even the most sophisticated investment in port infrastructure.
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‎“If city infrastructure is poor, spend all the millions of dollars you want to maintain the port. It’s not going to work. You will still get congestion,” he said.
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‎He therefore called for a holistic national plan integrating ports, roads, bridges, rail, inland waterways, logistics hubs and cargo evacuation systems.
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‎By Izuchukwu Ozoemena
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‎Maritime stakeholders say without modernizing infrastructure, digitalization, regulation, security and efficient connections, Nigeria’s quest to emerge the leading maritime and trade gateway in West and Central Africa will remain a mirage.
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‎This was the consensus at the 2026 Annual Maritime Lecture of the Maritime Reporters Association of Nigeria, MARAN where  growing concerns over port costs, congestion, cargo evacuation and the competitiveness of Nigerian ports were placed on the front burner.
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‎Delivering the keynote address, Special Adviser to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Policy Coordination and Head, Central Delivery Coordination Unit, Hadiza Bala Usman, said port modernisation must be measured by tangible improvements in cargo movement, turnaround times, logistics costs and export capacity rather than the volume of money spent on infrastructure.
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‎Usman who served as former Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) identified six critical dimensions of port modernisation. These are infrastructure and operational models, modern equipment, digitalisation, institutional reform, human capital development and commercial modernisation involving tariffs, concessions, investment and service quality.
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‎Nigeria’s seaports, she explained, handle more than four-fifths of the country’s physical imports and exports, making their efficiency critical to the wider economy.
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‎“When port costs are high, they travel into the price of rice on the trader’s stall, the landed cost of raw materials for the manufacturer and into the exchange-rate pressure created when importers pay dollar-denominated charges on top of naira-denominated uncertainties,” she said.
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‎She commended the recent performance of Nigerian ports, noting that the World Bank and S&P Global Market Intelligence’s Container Port Performance Index showed that Tin Can Island Port ranked 10th globally, while the Lagos Port Complex, Apapa, ranked 12th among the world’s most improved container ports between 2020 and 2025.
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‎Usman also cited increased cargo throughput, digitalisation initiatives and ongoing rehabilitation of major port infrastructure as evidence that reforms were beginning to yield results.
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‎However, she warned that the progress must be consolidated through sustained investment and measurable performance.
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‎She said the reconstruction of Apapa and Tin Can Island ports, rehabilitation of eastern ports, expansion of Lekki Deep Sea Port and development of other facilities would only deliver their full economic value if supported by efficient road, rail, barge, inland logistics and dry-port connections.
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‎“A port cannot be globally competitive if its hinterland is not competitive,” she said.
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‎Arguing that high port charges threaten competitiveness, the former NPA boss also called for a comprehensive review of Nigeria’s port tariff structure, arguing that the focus should shift from individual charges to the total cost of moving cargo through the Nigerian supply chain.
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‎She noted that reports of the cost of clearing a standard 20-foot container through Apapa reaching about N14 million to N15 million, compared with lower costs at some competing West African ports, should concern policymakers.
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‎She stressed, however, that the total cost comprises several different charges, including statutory port tariffs, terminal handling charges, shipping-line charges, detention, demurrage, haulage, documentation and clearing costs.
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‎According to her, eliminating duplicated and obsolete charges and regulatory interventions would significantly reduce the cost of doing business at Nigerian ports.
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‎“Charges cannot remain frozen indefinitely while infrastructure deteriorates, but neither can users be required to pay any amount demanded. Tariffs must be linked to value and performance,” she counselled.
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‎Usman called for a predictable, transparent and performance-based tariff regime, with tariff adjustments supported by published methodologies, international benchmarks and measurable improvements in service delivery.
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‎She also advocated the publication of an annual Port Economic Performance Report covering vessel and truck turnaround times, cargo-handling productivity, equipment availability, customs clearance, total logistics costs, digital transactions, export connectivity, customer satisfaction and dispute-resolution timelines.

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‎By Izuchukwu Ozoemena
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‎The Maritime Reports Association of Nigeria (MARAN) has been commended for organizing the 2026 edition of the MARAN Annual Maritime Lecture (MAMAL) which is a platform offered to industry stakeholders to engage in meaningful dialogue on Nigerian ports modernization, charges and the competitiveness question including broader challenges and opportunities available to Nigerian ports to make a mark in the global arena.
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‎Dr Kevin Okonna, Acting Rector of Maritime Academy of Nigeria, MAN, Oron, made the commendation in Lagos, Thursday, while delivering a goodwill message at the MAMAL event at Kondo Hall, Air Force Base 1, Kofo Abayomi Street, Victoria Island, Lagos.
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‎Speaking through Domo Umoekpe, MAN’s image maker, Dr Okonna said the  competitiveness of Nigerian ports cannot be separated from fundamental requirements such as efficiency, innovation, safety, technology, regulation and most importantly, the quality of human capital driving the maritime sector.
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‎”A modern port requires modern infrastructure and competent professionals who can operate, manage and sustain the infrastructure to international standards”, he explained.
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‎He said that as Nigeria’s foremost maritime training and education centre, the Maritime Academy of Nigeria recognises the important role it must play in this regard and has continued to invest in modern training infrastructure, advanced simulators, practical training facilities and improved learning environments while strengthening  partnerships with key stakeholders within and outside Nigeria.
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‎”As we discuss port modernisation and competitiveness, we must recognise that our future ports will be driven by both technology and people. The Maritime Academy of Nigeria remains committed to aligning its training programmes with industry needs, international conventions and emerging technologies. Our modern simulation facilities, specialised seafarers training centre, marine engineering workshops and other practical training infrastructure provide our cadets and other maritime professionals with opportunities to develop competencies that are relevant to both the Nigerian and global maritime markets.”
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‎The Federal Government’s renewed emphasis on the Marine and Blue Economy sector, he stated, aims to position Nigeria as a leading maritime hub in Africa and for this vision to become a sustainable reality, Nigerian ports must be competitive, her maritime institutions must be strengthened while the people must be equipped to take full advantage of the opportunities within the sector.
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‎”We at the Academy are proud to be part of this national effort. I therefore commend the organisers of this event, the Maritime Reporters Association of Nigeria, on this laudable initiative which provides a valuable platform for meaningful engagement on issues critical to the growth and development of Nigeria’s maritime industry.”
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‎He commended all stakeholders participating in the annual lecture for their commitment to advancing the conversation on Nigeria’s maritime competitiveness.
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‎”I am confident that the discussions will generate practical recommendations capable of contributing to the modernisation of our ports and strengthening Nigeria’s position within the global maritime economy.”
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‎”Let us continue to work together to build a maritime sector that is efficient, competitive and globally respected”.
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