Nigerian Ports Authority is pursuing the Federal Government’s drive to strengthen economic diversification options through sustainable blue economy to realise the $1trillion economy, writes Group Business Editor, SIMEON EBULU.
Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, is sustaining conscious steps aimed at improving ship traffic to the eastern ports and repositioning them for optimum efficiency.
As part of the Authority’s contribution to boosting the national economy, Dantsoho is working tirelessly to maximise the potentials of Onne and Port Harcourt ports while also reviving the existing ports in Calabar, Warri and other parts of the South South without losing focus on greenfield port projects.
Proximity to Northern Industrial Clusters
For years, shipping into Nigeria meant Lagos ports first, everywhere else second. The Eastern Ports- Port Harcourt, Onne, Warri, and Calabar- were left in the shadows despite their proximity to key markets and resource corridors. Despite its potential, weak infrastructure and limited connectivity kept the Eastern ports underused. Lagos absorbed over 90 per cent of maritime traffic while Eastern facilities ran below a third of their capacity.
But today, that story is beginning to change. Under the leadership of Dantsoho, Eastern ports are being repositioned as a competitive gateway. For shippers, the benefits are obvious- shorter turnaround times, closer access to the South-East and North-Central industrial clusters, lower transportation costs, and the ability to move agricultural and mineral products more efficiently.
All these are aimed at deepening Nigeria’s participation in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) regime.
To demonstrate his hands-on approach, Dantsoho embarked on a series of tours focussed on driving investment into the Eastern Ports. These tours have started to yield expressions of interest for Rivers, Calabar, and Burutu Ports. One of these is the recently celebrated call of the wholly Nigerian-owned MV Ocean Dragon at Onne’s West African Container Terminal (WACT) on July 31, 2025.
With a 349 TEU capacity, the MV Ocean Dragon shall be plying routes across West, Central, and Southern Africa, exemplifying the “Nigeria First” policy and pronouncing Nigeria as a key player in intra African trade. Through these efforts, the NPA is showing its commitment to integrating Nigerian producers with global markets and maximising the immediate benefits of the proximate African trade corridor by water.
Dantsoho’s management introduced new tariffs, which became effective on March 1, 2025. The tariffs reflect operational costs, while maintaining competitiveness and enhancing the actualisation of the Authority’s 25-year Master Plan which emphasizes automation, cybersecurity and sustainability, including a proposed “Green Craft Acquisition Fund” for IMO-compliant vessels.
Partnering on exports
The NPA has continued to pursue strategic partnerships, which are driving growth. For instance, Hapag-Lloyd launched a weekly service at Onne, connecting Eastern Nigeria to global routes and enhancing transshipment under the AfCFTA.
Another is collaborations with relevant agencies of government, like the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) for a 24-hour operations, aimed not only at reducing cargo release times, but also curb diversions to neighbouring ports.
And performance metrics reflect success so far. Records showed that service boat Gross Registered Tonnage (GRT) rose 129.3 per cent to 4.58 million tons in 2024. The Eastern Ports have also seen larger vessels berth safely, with stakeholders like Indorama reporting higher export tonnages.
In anticipation of the growth that this progress growth indicates, the NPA has projected a N1.28 trillion in revenue for 2025, up from N894.86 billion realised last year. And the development in the Eastern Ports has contributed significantly to the projected revenue rise. Buoyed by the results so far obtained, the NPA is in the process of incentivising operators to patronise the other ports, including discounts and streamlined processes for Eastern corridors. And in achieving that, the organization is aligning with the Federal Government’s “Nigeria First” policy which emphasises infrastructure modernization, operational efficiency, and indigenous participation in the maritime sector. Discussions with stakeholders like the Seaport Terminal Operators Association of Nigeria (STOAN) have begun, focussing on boosting indigenous ownership and short-sea shipping.
Driving Economic Diversification
Apart from building investor’ confidence to attract foreign direct investments (FDI) to viable private sector initiatives, like ship building and repairs, NPA is presently at the heart of the government’s drive to strengthen Nigeria’s economic diversification options through a sustainable blue economy ventures like ship building, ship repairs and other dry dock activities are attracting attention.
At a recent forum in Lagos, Founder of Starz Marine and Engineering Limited in Rivers State, Greg Ogbeifun, disclosed the firm’s commitment of $350 million through a loan by AfreximBank to facilitate shipbuilding and expansion of its yard, saying this will aid the expansion of the Starz’s shipyard from 500 tons to 10,000 ton, lifting capacity to 120 meter long circle lift, for the purpose of achieving quality ship repair and building which Nigerians normally undertake outside our shores.
Infrastructure modernisation
A cornerstone of the NPA’s strategy is significant investment in port infrastructure to accommodate larger vessels and reduce vessel turnaround times.
Port Harcourt, though historic, was underdeveloped, Onne thrived as an oil and gas base but not for as container-handling, Warri struggled with shallow approaches through Escravos, while Calabar, battled draft restrictions that discouraged major carriers. These barriers created a cycle of neglect and reinforced Lagos’ dominance.
The port’s authority has equally achieved significant breakthroughs with infrastructural and equipment upgrades and stakeholders’ engagement. Channel dredging and rehabilitation are said to be ongoing at Warri, Onne, and Calabar to accommodate larger ocean going vessels.
At Onne Port Complex, a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) with West African Container Terminal (WACT) Nigeria Limited has advanced Terminal ‘B’ expansion (Berths 7 and 8) to 62 per cent completion, with over $110 million invested.
This upgrade is part of a broader $2.9 billion Onne Port Expansion Phase 4B project which is the largest port investment in Africa over the past decade
Additionally, a 6,000 metric tonne bitumen tank is nearing completion at Rivers Port Complex, enhancing storage and supporting regional infrastructure needs.
The NPA has now secured a $1.1 billion facility for comprehensive rehabilitation across the Eastern Ports, inclusive of Onne, Rivers, Calabar and Warri. Key projects include road network integration at Onne’s Berths 9-11, installation of marine fenders authority-wide, and surveys for shore protection at Escravos breakwaters in Warri.
Navigational aids and buoys have been deployed in Warri and Calabar Pilotage Districts to improve channel marking and safety. These enhancements have led to unprecedented cargo traffic, particularly at Onne, due to improved channel security and reduced attacks on vessels.
Dredging efforts are also ongoing to increase draught depths, such as targeting 11 meters at Onne and Calabar to handle bigger ships.
Although Onne has welcomed ships that once avoided the corridor, security patrols across the Niger Delta are supported by partner agencies, thereby reducing piracy and other threats at sea while reassuring international shipping lines of the security of their vessels. On the commercial side, tariff rebates on harbour dues has lowered cost for users of the Eastern ports, while terminal concessions are driving private investment in modern cargo-handling equipment.
Hopefully through the Port Harcourt-Maiduguri rail, the North-East would have a direct maritime outlet, where agricultural produce and solid minerals can be exported from. This is exactly what an efficient port system is.
Furthermore, the, NPA has acquired state-of-the-art harbour crafts, including two 80-tonne Bollard Pull tugboats (M.T. Maikoko and M.T. Da-Opukuro), the first of their kind in Africa to eliminate berthing and sailing delays These vessels, complemented by additional tugboats and pilot cutters, have improved efficiency, with average vessel turnaround time dropping to 5.16 days so far. The Electronic Call-up (Eto) system and Export Processing Terminals (EPTs) have also streamlined operations, boosting export volumes by 60 per emt in some terminals. Opening of ‘Road D’ at Onne has also alleviated logistics bottlenecks, attracting commendations from truckers. That is in addition to several other initiatives that support multimodal transport and align with International Association for Ports and Harbours (IAPH) standards for port-hinterland connectivity.
Future outlook
The NPA’s multifaceted approach —combining infrastructure upgrades, equipment acquisitions, incentives, and partnerships, to improve delivery positions the Eastern Ports as vital economic engines. The Marine and Blue Economy Minister, Gboyega Oyetola, said these efforts promise sustained ease of doing business and blue economy optimization. As transshipment figures from Lekki Deep Seaport rise and trade surpluses grow, the Eastern Ports, with continued focus on security, dredging, and indigenous capacity, are poised for even greater vessel traffic and investment, contributing to Nigeria’s maritime renaissance.
Succour for Aba manufacturers, Onitsha traders
Through the ports renewal drive, manufacturers in Aba, traders in Onitsha, and industrial clusters in Nnewi can now route their cargo through the Eastern ports nearest to them, saving time and money. With this new dawn, Onne will strengthen its dominance as the Gulf of Guinea’s offshore logistics hub. Port Harcourt and Calabar can become lifelines to South-East and linkages to Cameroon and Central Africa.
