….as Lekki Port outpaces Onne Port, Apapa Port in cargo volume
Nigeria’s maritime sector has recorded a significant surge in cargo volumes and a strategic shift toward export-led trade according to the 2025 Operational Performance Report released by the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) on Tuesday.
The report revealed that the total cargo throughput jumped by 24.8 percent, rising from 103.6 million metric tonnes in 2024 to a record-breaking 129.3 million metric tonnes in 2025.
Commenting, Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, Managing Director of the NPA, described the milestone as a validation of the Federal Government’s economic diversification agenda.
While imports still represent the majority of traffic at 59.2 percent, the report highlighted a strengthening export footprint, which now accounts for 39 percent of total throughput.
This growth is particularly evident in the containerized cargo segment, where total traffic exceeded 2.1 million Twenty-foot Equivalent Units (TEUs), representing a 25.7 percent increase over the previous year.
The structural landscape of Nigerian shipping is also evolving, with Lekki Deep Sea Port emerging as the nation’s primary maritime gateway. The facility handled 40.6 percent of total cargo throughput in 2025, significantly outpacing Onne Port (19.1 percent) and Apapa Port (16.7 percent).
Beyond volume, Lekki and Onne have become the preferred destinations for the industry’s heavyweight vessels, boasting the highest average Gross Registered Tonnage (GRT) per ship call.
Perhaps the most striking metric in the report is the 205.8 percent surge in transshipment containers. This explosive growth indicates that Nigeria is successfully positioning itself as a pivotal logistics hub for West and Central Africa, attracting international shipping lines that use Nigerian terminals as a base for redistributing goods across the sub-region.
Despite the dominance of liquid bulk cargo which accounts for over half of all commodities handled, the shift toward diversified, containerized exports signals a maritime sector aligning with global standards.
Ship calls rose by nearly 12 percent to 4,477 vessels, reflecting high operational activity even as the complexity of the cargo handled increases.
Looking toward the future, Dr. Dantsoho expressed confidence that the momentum would be sustained through a bold, government-approved port modernization program.
This initiative aims to rehabilitate aging infrastructure, deepen berths to accommodate even larger vessels, and fully implement the National Single Window system to digitalize port operations.
Analysts believe these reforms will be critical in reducing cargo dwell time and ensuring that Nigeria’s ports remain competitive in an increasingly integrated global supply chain.