From Bottlenecks to Breakthroughs: Inside NPA’s Year of Maritime Renewal

BY EGUONO ODJEGBA

The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has turned 2025 into a watershed year for the nation’s maritime industry, an era defined not by bottlenecks and inefficiencies, but by bold reforms, historic milestones, and global recognition.

Since assuming office in July 2024, Managing Director/CEO Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho has breathed new life into the Authority. His stewardship has repositioned Nigeria’s ports as hubs of efficiency and innovation, directly strengthening the national economy.

Under his watch, Nigeria’s international trade surged to ₦5.81 trillion in Q3 2024, a testament to operational excellence. His fiscal interventions notably among which is the implementation of the presidential directive to trade petroleum in Naira, helped ease pressure on foreign reserves.

By integrating Nigeria into the International Port Community System Association (IPCSA) and advancing the National Single Window project, he ushered in a new era of transparency and digital modernization.

His visionary leadership earned him the Award of Excellence, cementing his reputation as a reformer who is reshaping maritime infrastructure for the future.  Even his greatest critic would agree that Dantsoho has been at the forefront in anchoring Nigeria’s global voice.

Interestingly, 2025 was also the year Nigeria reclaimed its seat at the IMO Council after a 14-year absence. This re-election signaled renewed confidence in Nigeria’s maritime governance and its commitment to safety, security, and environmental stewardship.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu hailed the achievement, applauding Minister of Marine and Blue Economy Adegboyega Oyetola and the diplomatic corps for their strategic engagement. “Nigeria will justify the trust reposed in it through sustained leadership and active contribution to international maritime objectives,” the President affirmed.

Echoing this sentiment, Dr. Dantsoho said, “Nigeria has spoken boldly on the global stage, and today, the world is listening.”

Under Dantsoho’s watch, Nigeria also recorded impressive milestones in the area of regional coastal trade. It will be recalled that in July 2025, there was a major breakthrough with the berthing of MV Ocean Dragon, a wholly Nigerian-owned container vessel.

Owned by Clarion Shipping West Africa Limited, the vessel boasts a capacity of 349 TEUs and is set to service ports across West Africa and beyond. Its arrival aligns with President Tinubu’s Nigeria First policy, reducing logistics costs and deepening regional trade under the AfCFTA.

By offering a cost-effective alternative to road transport, MV Ocean Dragon is expected to catalyze investment in short-sea shipping and enhance Nigeria’s competitiveness. Industry sustainability and growth metrics for the year ending 2025 remain, significant.

The NPA’s transformation is not only operational but also environmental. A $60 million investment in green port initiatives is driving sustainability and local content development.

Performance metrics underscore this renaissance with export-laden container volumes soaring by 1,085% in Q3 2025; as total cargo throughput rose 16.2%, with container traffic climbing 18.9% to 546,931 TEUs.

Also, while import-laden containers grew 33.1%, exports jumped from 5,812 TEUs in Q3 2024 to 69,039 TEUs in Q3 2025; even as vessel calls increased 8.4% to 1,074 ships; with Gross Registered Tonnage rising 18% to 42.64 million.

It is noteworthy that Lekki Deep Seaport emerged as the dominant growth driver, handling nearly half of Nigeria’s cargo traffic, while Onne Port followed with 17%.

“These figures reflect improved operational efficiency across all pilotage districts,” Dr. Dantsoho noted, attributing success to federal export-driven reforms and investor confidence.

The year ending also recorded digital breakthrough which greatly impacted the regime of congestion, knocking it, significantly.  NPA capped off 2025 with another landmark achievement, the launch of the Electronic Call-Up System at Onne Port in Rivers State.

Designed to tackle persistent traffic congestion, the system promises efficiency and order at one of Nigeria’s busiest ports. Mr. Godwin Ololuke, Chairman of the NPCC Onne Chapter, hailed the initiative: “The commencement of the Call-Up system will restore order, enhance port efficiency, and safeguard investments.”

Truck driver,  Johnbull Igbikiowubo, emphasized that stakeholder cooperation will be the defining factor in its success. The system is expected to curb extortion by non-state actors, who reportedly collect ₦1,000 per truck, while streamlining traffic and enhancing safety.

Beyond numbers, 2025 also elevated Nigeria’s voice in global maritime governance, following Dantsoho’s election as Vice-President for Africa at the International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH). He became the first Nigerian since 1972 to lead the Port Management Association of West and Central Africa (PMAWCA).

These roles underscore Nigeria’s restored leadership in shaping maritime policy across Africa and the world. The IAPH, headquartered in Tokyo, represents over 190 ports and 167 port-related businesses across 89 countries, handling more than 60% of global sea-borne trade. Nigeria’s strengthened presence in this alliance signals its growing influence in the corridors of global maritime power.

At a Citizens’ Engagement Meeting in Abuja, Dr. Dantsoho and Minister Oyetola unveiled a visionary roadmap for Nigeria’s blue economy. At the heart of this strategy lies a $1 billion port rehabilitation and modernization project, which is expected to reconstruct key ports across Nigeria, launch a Port Community System (PCS) in 2026, tailored to the federal government’s Renewed Hope Agenda; and to also integrate aviation and rail logistics into a unified trade ecosystem.

The PCS, modeled on systems pioneered in Rotterdam and Hamburg, will automate cargo handling, simplify administration, and plug revenue leakages. Its economic impact is expected to be profound, saving millions annually by reducing vessel turnaround times and demurrage, while providing reliable trade data for long-term planning.

From congestion to confidence, from local reforms to global recognition, 2025 will be remembered as the year Nigeria’s ports redefined their destiny. With the Electronic Call-Up System, sustainability investments, and global leadership roles already secured, the NPA has set the stage for 2026.

The coming year promises to be even more transformative, as the $1 billion modernization project and Port Community System launch propel Nigeria into a new era of maritime excellence.