‘Nigeria’s Maritime Sector at a Crossroads’ – Stakeholders  

BY GBOGBOWA GBOWA

At the TransQuest 20 Years of Media Excellence Seminar/Awards held at the Lagos Airport Hotel Ikeja, industry leaders painted a stark picture of Nigeria’s maritime sector, warning that without urgent reforms, the country risks losing its competitive edge to regional rivals like Ghana.

The stakeholders who raised a number of key concerns urged the federal government and its relevant MDAs not to ignore the signals since they could trigger unimaginable dislocation to the port and maritime economy.

Unregulated Ports: Nigeria’s ports lack a strong regulatory framework, resulting in inefficiency, unfair pricing, and weak competitiveness. The stakeholders argue that unregulated ports also invariably pave the way for high port charges. According to the port players, being among the highest, globally, they further noted that these charges discourage trade and increase the cost of doing business.

Cabotage Act Failure and Fragmented Oversight: Intended to empower indigenous shipowners, stakeholders note that the Act has fallen short, leaving local operators sidelined; together with fragmented oversight. On oversight, they observed that regulatory agencies such as the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), and the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) operate in silos, creating duplication and inefficiency.

Declining cargo throughput: The port users who also identified outdated port structures and shallow river ports posit that the developments have reduced Nigeria’s attractiveness for global shipping lines.

The industry players proposed the following:

-Regulatory overhaul with a strong independent authority.

-Reduction of port charges to restore competitiveness.

-Review of concession models to attract investment and ensure accountability.

-Development of a transshipment hub capable of handling deep-sea vessels.

-Fleet expansion under NIMASA to strengthen indigenous shipping capacity.

They posit that if implemented, these reforms could reposition Nigeria as a regional maritime powerhouse, unlocking billions in trade, logistics, and employment opportunities.

A communiqué drawn from the workshop also underscored that the time for action is now, warning that neighbouring countries are not sleeping but constantly modernizing their port systems.