The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Dr. Adegboyega Oyetola has given reasons why Nigeria is expanding its port capacity and implementing major maritime reforms since President Ahmed Bola Tinubu was elected in 2023.
He explained that that the measures are aimed at positioning Nigeria as the leading trade and logistics hub in West and Central Africa Sub-regions.
Oyetola was quoted saying this while declaring open the mid-year session of the Board of Directors of the Port Management Association of West and Central Africa (PMAWCA) in Victoria Island, Lagos recently.
This was contained in a statement signed by the Special Adviser to the Minister, Dr. Bolaji Akinola and made available to Maritime Bits.
According to the statement, Oyetola said the meeting with the theme, “Ports of the Future: Combining Logistical Resilience with Inclusive Community Development” that the Federal Government had approved the development of additional deep seaports across the country to strengthen supply chain resilience and improve Nigeria’s competitiveness in the global maritime industry.
His words: “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.”
The minister added that the administration of President Tinubu remained committed to modernising the nation’s ports through infrastructure upgrades, digital transformation and improved operational efficiency.
He explained that co-ordinated policy interventions and stronger inter-agency collaboration had significantly reduced logistics bottlenecks at major seaports.
“These efforts have contributed to improved cargo evacuation, reduced vessel waiting time, greater operational efficiency, and a more predictable business environment for port users and investors,” he said.
He described the Federal Government’s National Single Window initiative as a landmark reform designed to streamline cargo clearance through digital integration of government agencies and port operations.
He also disclosed that existing seaports would undergo comprehensive upgrades, including channel deepening, to attract larger vessels.
Said he: “These upgrades are critical to ensuring that our ports remain globally competitive and capable of supporting larger volumes of trade in the years ahead.”
On maritime security, Oyetola said the implementation of the Deep Blue Project had eliminated piracy in Nigerian waters and drastically reduced maritime crimes across the Gulf of Guinea.
He noted that the achievement had restored investor confidence and strengthened the region’s attractiveness as a secure maritime corridor for international commerce.
The minister charged delegates to advance initiatives that would “strengthen logistical resilience in port operations and regional supply chains,” while also promoting sustainable port management, innovation, digital transformation and inclusive community development linked to maritime activities.
The Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and President of PMAWCA, Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho in his in his welcome address said West and Central Africa Subregions was witnessing a major resurgence in maritime infrastructure investment, with more than $27 billion worth of port projects underway or recently announced across the sub-region.
Dantsoho cited 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, and port developments in Ghana and Senegal.
He also highlighted ongoing investments in Nigeria’s Apapa and Tin Can Island ports, alongside a $600 million investment by APM Terminals.
According to the NPA helmsman, the ports in West and Central Africa must move beyond their traditional role as cargo gateways and become drivers of broader blue economy growth. The future of the sector lies in areas such as renewable marine energy, aquaculture, sustainable fisheries, coastal tourism and marine biotechnology.
The three day event is being attended by the Governor of Taraba State, Dr. Kefas Agbu; the Governor of Lagos State represented by the Commissioner of Transportation, Mr. Oluwaseun Osiyemi; Chairman of Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote; and the Special Adviser on Policy Coordination to the President, Hadiza Bala Usman.
