…as FG faults Peter Obi’s claim on Port neglect
By Seun Ibiyemi
Despite Nigeria’s status as West Africa’s largest economy and a critical regional trade hub, no Nigerian port has secured a spot in the Lloyd’s List Top 100 Container Ports Ranking for 2025.
This persistent exclusion highlights the deep-rooted infrastructure and operational deficiencies plaguing the nation’s maritime sector.
The exclusion comes even as global container throughput saw a sharp increase, rebounding to 743.6 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in 2024 an 8.1% rise from the previous year. Ports like Apapa and Tin Can Island in Lagos, which handle the majority of Nigeria’s traffic, were conspicuously absent from the ranking for yet another consecutive year.
The global ranking continues to be dominated by Asia, with Chinese ports commanding over 40% of total global throughput. The Port of Shanghai held its position as the world’s busiest terminal, followed by Singapore, Ningbo-Zhoushan, Shenzhen, and Qingdao.
Only four African ports managed to make the 2025 Top 100 list, underscoring the continent’s overall challenges in global maritime competitiveness.
Morocco’s Tanger Med Port was the continental leader, ranking 17th globally with a throughput of 10.24 million TEUs. Other African ports included Egypt’s Port Said (53rd with 3.9 million TEUs), Alexandria (90th with 2.21 million TEUs), and Lomé Port in Togo (92nd with 2.06 million TEUs).
Nigeria’s inability to compete stems from a catalog of deep-rooted inefficiencies that reduce its attractiveness on global shipping routes. These include the use of obsolete cargo-handling equipment, poor port access roads, and chronic port congestion. Also, shallow drafts limit the size of vessels that can call at the ports, and there is slow progress on full automation and digital transformation, compounded by limited rail connectivity.
This combination of factors makes Nigerian ports significantly less efficient than regional rivals like Lomé and Tema (Ghana), resulting in higher costs and longer turnaround times for vessels.
Maritime analysts warn that Nigeria’s natural dominance in West African trade is at risk. To halt the diversion of cargo traffic to better-equipped neighboring countries, the government must accelerate long-delayed reforms. These urgent steps include implementing full digital transformation for faster processes, urgent dredging of channels to accommodate larger vessels, and significantly improving rail and road connections to and from the ports.
The continued absence from the Lloyd’s List ranking is a stark reminder that decisive infrastructure investment and operational overhaul are critical if Nigeria is to reclaim its position as the definitive maritime gateway to West Africa.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government has dismissed as misleading the recent remarks made by former Anambra State Governor, Mr Peter Obi, suggesting that the ongoing $1 billion modernisation of the Apapa and TinCan Island Ports was being done at the expense of other regions in the country.
This was contained in a statement signed by Dr Bolaji Akinola, Special Adviser to the Honourable Minister, Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, on Monday in Abuja.
The statement reads partly: “The Honourable Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, His Excellency Dr Adegboyega Oyetola, CON, has consistently stated at various fora that the Federal Government is modernising and upgrading the nation’s ports in a comprehensive and inclusive manner not concentrating efforts solely in Lagos.
“The Ministry has already commenced the procurement process for the renovation and modernisation of the ports in Warri, Port Harcourt, Calabar, and Onne.
“These projects are being undertaken alongside the Lagos port modernisation initiative, forming part of a coordinated national strategy to revitalise and expand maritime infrastructure across all regions of the country.
“In addition to these ongoing interventions, the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy is working closely with the respective state governments and private investors to develop new deep seaports that will further strengthen the nation’s maritime capacity.
“These include the Agge Deep Seaport in Bayelsa State, the Ibom Deep Seaport in Akwa Ibom State, the Bonny Deep Seaport in Rivers State, and a deep seaport in Cross River State. Each of these projects reflects the Ministry’s commitment to balanced development and regional economic inclusion within the framework of the national blue economy.”
“Furthermore, the Onitsha River Port in Anambra State, developed by the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), an agency under the Ministry stands as a practical example of the Federal Government’s efforts to decentralise port operations and expand maritime access beyond Lagos. These initiatives demonstrate a deliberate and strategic approach to strengthening Nigeria’s port network, improving logistics efficiency, and stimulating industrial and commercial growth across the federation.”
“The Lagos ports modernisation project is a necessary intervention given the age and scale of trade handled through Apapa and TinCan Island. However, it is by no means the sole focus of the Federal Government’s maritime infrastructure drive. The Ministry’s ongoing efforts to upgrade, modernise, and expand other ports outside Lagos clearly affirm a nationwide commitment to developing the marine and blue economy in an equitable, sustainable, and forward-looking manner.”
Reiterating its stance, the Ministry stressed that Mr Obi’s comment suggesting the neglect of ports outside Lagos was “incorrect and misleading,” adding that the Federal Government’s policies were driven by inclusiveness and equity.
According to the Ministry, the Tinubu administration’s marine development strategy is anchored on the Renewed Hope Agenda, designed to promote food security, economic diversification, and regional prosperity through full utilisation of the nation’s maritime potential.
It said the Government had adopted a comprehensive plan that integrates both port rehabilitation and the establishment of new maritime hubs across Nigeria’s coastal states, ensuring that no region is left behind in the nation’s blue economy transformation.
The Ministry emphasised that its interventions across the South-South, South-East, and South-West corridors were part of a deliberate effort to reposition the maritime sector as a driver of inclusive economic growth and sustainable development.
It further assured Nigerians that the ongoing reforms in the marine and blue economy sector would promote transparency, accountability, and equitable participation, noting that the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was committed to ensuring that “every region benefits from the opportunities inherent in the nation’s growing maritime economy.”