Nigeria eyes $60m investment to transform Onne Port into nation’s first green port
By Seun Ibiyemi
The Federal Government is in advanced discussions with private investors to raise nearly $60 million for the electrification of Onne Port in Rivers State, setting the stage for Nigeria’s first green port.
Vice President Kashim Shettima disclosed this at the “Decarbonising Infrastructure in Nigeria Summit” held at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
The summit, themed “Unlocking Climate Finance for Sustainable Development,” was convened by the Office of the Vice President and brought together key government officials, private sector executives, and development partners committed to scaling low-carbon infrastructure and green investment in Nigeria.
Reaffirming the government’s commitment to environmental sustainability, Vice President Shettima remarked, “Onne Port is already emerging as the model for our ambition to anchor a thriving green economy.”
He noted that negotiations with investors were progressing to fund the electrification and transformation of the port’s infrastructure.
A prominent participant at the summit was APM Terminals, one of Nigeria’s leading logistics firms. The company presented a white paper titled “A Pragmatic Roadmap to Unlock Transformational Benefits Well Beyond Decarbonisation” to the Vice President.
The document proposes a strategy for electrifying Nigeria’s container transport network and outlines its broader economic and environmental implications.
According to APM Terminals, full electrification of Nigeria’s port infrastructure could attract up to $830 million in investment by 2030, cut carbon emissions by 390,000 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent, and generate thousands of skilled jobs.
The firm currently operates container terminals in Apapa, Lagos, and at the West Africa Container Terminal (WACT) in Onne, as well as a depot in Kano.
CEO of APM Terminals Nigeria, Frederik Klinke, noted, “Electrification is essential to aligning Nigeria’s logistics sector with global benchmarks. It improves working conditions, minimises air and noise pollution, and positively impacts surrounding communities.”
With over 40 ports globally already adopting electrification, stakeholders say Nigeria is poised to make similar progress. However, experts at the summit stressed the need for urgent collaboration between the government and private sector to resolve existing power supply bottlenecks and upgrade port handling equipment.
Eveline Speelman, a partner at Systemiq, remarked, “Electrification is timely, particularly as nearly 60 per cent of Nigeria’s terminal concessions are approaching renewal. This provides a unique opportunity to embed green infrastructure in the country’s port system.”
The initiative represents a key step in Nigeria’s wider climate-resilient development strategy and positions Onne Port as a potential benchmark for sustainable port operations across West Africa.