By Aaron Ossai
Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho has said that Nigeria’s renewed push to unlock the vast potential of its marine and blue economy is gathering momentum, driven by an ambitious mix of policy reforms, infrastructure upgrades and institutional realignment under the administration of Bola Tinubu.
He said disclosed that at the centre of this strategy is a bold effort to overhaul the nation’s port system, expand maritime capacity and reposition the country as a dominant trade hub in West Africa.
According to him, “across multiple fronts, from legislative backing and financing to regulatory reforms and digital transformation, the Federal Government is attempting what industry experts describe as a long-overdue reset of Nigeria’s maritime architecture.”
“The goal is clear: to leverage the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and place Nigeria at the heart of intra-African commerce.
“For decades, Nigeria’s ports have served as the primary gateway for international trade, handling over 90 per cent of the country’s cargo by volume.
“Yet, inefficiencies, congestion, poor infrastructure and fragmented processes have limited their competitiveness, allowing smaller economies in the region to capture a disproportionate share of maritime traffic. That reality is now being confronted head-on”, he said.
Dantsoho, who disclosed this while addressing industry stakeholders at a forum in Lagos, said Nigeria’s port must evolve beyond their traditional limitations to compete in a rapidly integrating African market.
“The time has come for a paradigm shift in the structure of Nigeria’s economy towards the full utilisation of our marine resources. Our port system, if properly harnessed, can serve as a major driver of economic growth”, he added.
Under AfCFTA, where trade barriers are steadily being dismantled, Dantsoho warned that efficiency, not geography, will determine which countries dominate cargo flows.
“Nigeria’s geographical advantage alone is no longer sufficient,” he said. “Efficiency, speed, innovation and reliability will define leadership in this new era”, he remarked.
“The foundation for this transformation was laid early in the Tinubu administration with the creation of the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, an institutional shift that signalled a strategic rethinking of Nigeria’s economic priorities.
“The Ministry, headed by Adegboyega Oyetola, was designed to coordinate previously fragmented maritime functions and unlock what government estimates place at a $3 trillion blue economy potential.
“Since then, the administration has pursued a multi-layered reform agenda, combining infrastructure investment with policy innovation. Central to this is the port modernisation programme, which has received both executive backing and legislative support.
“In a major step, the House of Representatives approved a $1 billion loan request by President Tinubu for the rehabilitation of the Lagos Port Complex and Tin Can Island Port, two of the country’s most critical maritime assets”, he recalled.
According to the President, the project is aimed at addressing “critical infrastructure deficiencies accumulated over decades of operation” while improving efficiency, safety and global competitiveness.
The modernisation initiative, he noted, aligns with Nigeria’s broader economic agenda under the National Integrated Infrastructure Master Plan and is essential for supporting non-oil exports and trade diversification.
