Nigeria’s major ports – Apapa, Tincan Island, Calabar, Warri, and Port Harcourt – are set for a transformative $1 billion reconstruction approved by President Bola Tinubu, according to Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA). Speaking at the International Association of Ports and Harbours (IAPH) World Ports Conference in Japan, Dantsoho outlined plans for works to commence first quarter 2026 pending completion of requisite studies.
“The job would be delivered within 48 months,” Dantsoho said, stressing the modernization push aligns with federal government ambitions for a $1 trillion economy with maritime as a key driver. He lauded Minister Adegboyega Oyetola’s support, noting investor interest in Nigeria’s maritime sector spurred by President Tinubu’s economic policies. “Investors in the maritime space are pushing to invest in Nigeria following Tinubu’s economic policies,” he told newsmen.
Collaboration and trust-building with global partners are pivotal, Dantsoho emphasized. “How do you collaborate when there is no trust? How do you collaborate when there is no relationship?” he posed, highlighting a Singaporean firm’s involvement in Nigeria’s national single window system as testament to growing partnerships. “Nigeria has given the port community system contract to a Singaporean company… They have the equipment, they have the finance.”
Dantsoho underlined port development’s capital-intensive nature demands foreign investment. “Nigeria does not have enough money… But we are attracting investors now… People can only come and give you money if they know they can recoup,” he said, pointing to global tech trends like automated ships targeting 2040. Nigeria must invest in port automation and technology, he urged.
Through memberships in bodies like IAPH, Port Management Association of West and Central Africa (PMAWCA), and International Maritime Organisation (IMO), Dantsoho said Nigeria is positioning itself for impactful collaborations. “They see us as friends… So the discussions will continue, and then hopefully it will end in very wonderful results,” he stated optimistically.
