By Seun Ibiyemi
Nigeria is expanding its port infrastructure and implementing key maritime reforms aimed at positioning the country as the leading trade and logistics hub in West and Central Africa, the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, has said.
Speaking on Monday while declaring open the Mid-Year Session of the Board of Directors of the Port Management Association of West and Central Africa in Lagos, Oyetola said the Federal Government had approved the development of additional deep seaports across the country to strengthen supply chain resilience and improve competitiveness in the global maritime sector.
The meeting, held in Victoria Island, Lagos, has as its theme: “Ports of the Future: Combining Logistical Resilience with Inclusive Community Development.”
According to the minister, the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu remains committed to modernising Nigeria’s ports through infrastructure upgrades, digital transformation and improved operational efficiency.
“Approvals have therefore been granted for the development of additional deep seaports across the country to complement existing infrastructure, strengthen supply chain resilience, and reinforce Nigeria’s position as the preferred maritime and logistics hub for West and Central Africa,” Oyetola stated.
He noted that coordinated policy interventions and stronger collaboration among government agencies had reduced logistics bottlenecks at major seaports, leading to improved cargo evacuation, shorter vessel waiting times and greater operational efficiency.
Oyetola also described the Federal Government’s National Single Window initiative as a major reform designed to streamline cargo clearance through digital integration of port operations and government agencies.
The minister further disclosed that existing ports would undergo extensive upgrades, including channel deepening, to enable them accommodate larger vessels and increased trade volumes.
On maritime security, he said the implementation of the Deep Blue Project had eliminated piracy in Nigerian waters and significantly reduced maritime crimes across the Gulf of Guinea, thereby restoring investor confidence in the region.
He urged delegates at the PMAWCA meeting to advance initiatives that would strengthen logistical resilience, sustainable port management, innovation and inclusive community development tied to maritime activities.
In his welcome address, Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority and President of PMAWCA, Abubakar Dantsoho, said West and Central Africa was witnessing a resurgence in maritime infrastructure investment, with more than $27 billion worth of port projects underway or recently announced across the sub-region.
Dantsoho highlighted major projects including the $20 billion Simandou-Morebaya Deep Sea Port project in Guinea, the $2 billion Port San Pedro project in Côte d’Ivoire, the $1.5 billion Lekki Deep Sea Port in Lagos, as well as port developments in Ghana and Senegal.
He also pointed to ongoing investments in Nigeria’s Apapa and Tin Can Island ports, alongside a $600 million investment by APM Terminals.
According to him, ports in the region must evolve beyond their traditional role as cargo gateways to become drivers of broader blue economy growth in areas such as renewable marine energy, aquaculture, sustainable fisheries, coastal tourism and marine biotechnology.
The three-day event, scheduled to run from May 18 to 20, was attended by the Governor of Taraba State, Kefas Agbu; Lagos State Commissioner for Transportation, Oluwaseun Osiyemi; Chairman of dangote, Aliko Dangote; and Special Adviser on Policy Coordination to the President, Hadiza Bala Usman, among others.
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