The Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority, Dr Abubakar Dantsoho, has stated that Nigeria accounts for more than 70 per cent of all cargo arriving in the West and Central African sub-region.
Dantsoho disclosed this on Wednesday in Lagos while speaking during the closing ceremony of the Mid-Year Session of the Board of Directors of the Port Management Association of West and Central Africa.
Dantsoho, who is also the President of the Port Management Association of West and Central Africa, attributed Nigeria’s dominance to the size of its economy and population, as well as its role as a gateway for landlocked neighbouring countries.
“Over 70 per cent of the cargo that comes to this region of Africa ends up in Nigeria. Our economy is the biggest, our population is the highest, and we are also serving landlocked countries, Mali, Niger, Chad, Burkina Faso, whose combined population is about 80 million,” Dantsoho said.
He said the three-day session resolved to pursue infrastructure development and technology adoption with urgency, adding that the session also warned that delays would allow other regions to outpace Africa. “We had gone into hibernation for too long. If we wait longer, the other parts of the world will move and leave us behind,” he said.
On short- and medium-term plans, Dantsoho said the NPA had already deployed an electronic call-up system that reduced turnaround time at Apapa Port to under 15 minutes, stressing that both Apapa and Tin Can Island ports would be modernised.
In the long term, he said Nigeria and other sub-regional countries must develop deep seaports capable of receiving the largest modern vessels, citing a $20bn deep seaport project in Guinea as a benchmark.
The NPA boss also disclosed that five deep-seaport sites in Nigeria — Badagry, Olokola, Ibom Port in Uyo, Bakassi in Cross River, and Bonny in Rivers State — had received necessary approvals and certifications, with investor negotiations ongoing.
Dantsoho expressed optimism over signals from business mogul Aliko Dangote that he intended to invest in the country’s port sector. “We are happy that he mentioned he is going to invest in the port system and that it is likely he can get us the biggest port in Africa,” he said.
On data and technology, he said the NPA was nearly 90 per cent automated and had operated a fully electronic payment system for 15 years. He added that PMAWCA was exploring third-party consultancy arrangements to monetise port data across the sub-region.
“Statistics and data in this age and time are the only way to go. You must allow data to be a torchlight,” he said.
In his closing address, the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, described the session as highly successful.
Oyetola, who was represented at the event by the Director of Maritime Services at the ministry, Oyinloye Adeola, said, “The discussions, presentations, and engagements during this session have reinforced the importance of collaboration in addressing emerging challenges and opportunities within the maritime and logistics ecosystem.”
Oyetola also acknowledged growing investor confidence in Africa’s maritime economy, citing regional initiatives on sustainable oceans as evidence of the continent’s collective push toward greener, more resilient shipping systems.
While wishing all the delegates a safe journey back to their respective countries, Oyetola expressed optimism about the region’s maritime future. “We look forward with optimism to the future of our region,” he said.
