Nigeria Expanding Deep Seaport Infrastructure to Dominate Regional Maritime Trade — Oyetola
Oru Leonard
The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, has declared that Nigeria is expanding its port infrastructure and implementing strategic maritime reforms aimed at positioning the country as the leading trade and logistics hub in West and Central Africa.
Speaking on Monday while inaugurating the Mid-Year Session of the Board of Directors of the Port Management Association of West and Central Africa in Victoria Island, Lagos, the minister said the Federal Government had approved the development of additional deep seaports across the country to boost supply chain resilience and improve competitiveness in the global maritime sector.
The meeting, themed “Ports of the Future: Combining Logistical Resilience with Inclusive Community Development,” brought together key stakeholders from across the maritime industry and government.
According to Oyetola, the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu remains committed to modernising Nigeria’s seaports through infrastructure upgrades, digital transformation and operational reforms designed to improve efficiency and attract investment.
He said recent policy interventions and enhanced inter-agency collaboration had helped reduce logistics bottlenecks at major ports, leading to improved cargo evacuation, shorter vessel waiting times and a more predictable operating environment for investors and port users.
The minister also highlighted the Federal Government’s National Single Window initiative, describing it as a major digital reform that would streamline cargo clearance processes through integrated port operations and government agencies.
Oyetola further disclosed that existing ports would undergo extensive upgrades, including channel deepening, to accommodate larger vessels and increase cargo-handling capacity.
On maritime security, the minister said the implementation of the Deep Blue Project had successfully eliminated piracy in Nigerian waters and significantly reduced maritime crimes across the Gulf of Guinea, thereby restoring investor confidence in the region’s maritime corridor.
He urged participants at the PMAWCA meeting to promote sustainable port management, innovation, digital transformation and inclusive coastal community development, while strengthening regional logistics and supply chain resilience.
In his welcome address, Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority and President of PMAWCA, Abubakar Dantsoho, said West and Central Africa was experiencing renewed momentum in maritime infrastructure investment, with more than $27 billion worth of port projects currently underway or recently announced across the sub-region.
He 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, and new port developments in Ghana and Senegal.
Dantsoho also referenced ongoing investments in Apapa and Tin Can Island ports, alongside a $600 million investment by APM Terminals.
According to him, ports across the region must evolve beyond their traditional role as cargo gateways and become catalysts for broader blue economy development through renewable marine energy, aquaculture, sustainable fisheries, coastal tourism and marine biotechnology.
The event, which runs from May 18 to 20, 2026, attracted several high-profile dignitaries including Agbu Kefas, Lagos State Commissioner for Transportation Oluwaseun Osiyemi, Chairman of the Dangote Group Aliko Dangote, and Special Adviser to the President on Policy Coordination Hadiza Bala Usman.
Cover Photo Caption:Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Dr. Adegboyega Oyetola (front row, middle); Chairman of Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote; Managing Director of Nigerian Ports Authority and President of of the Port Management Association of West and Central Africa (PMAWCA), Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho; Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, Mrs. Fatima Mahmood; Taraba State Governor, Dr. Agbu Kefas, and delegates from various countries at the opening ceremony of the Mid-Year Session of the Board of Directors of PMAWCA hosted by NPA in Victoria Island, Lagos, on Monday.
