MARITIME TRADE & SHIPPING
Djibouti Unveils Largest Shipyard in East Africa, Strengthening Its Maritime Dominance
Djibouti Unveils Largest Shipyard in East Africa, Strengthening Its Maritime Dominance
By Raymond Gold | Waterways News
Djibouti has taken a bold step in cementing its status as Africa’s foremost maritime hub, officially inaugurating the Djibouti Ship Repair Yard (DSRY) — now the largest ship repair facility in both the Red Sea and East Africa — in a development that is already drawing attention across the continent’s maritime community.
The facility, developed through a strategic partnership with the Dutch shipbuilding giant, Damen Shipyards Group, was formally opened by President Ismaïl Omar Guelleh and financed by Invest International of the Netherlands at a cost of €107.5 million (approximately $116.5 million). The project, a decade in the making, marks a defining moment not only for Djibouti but for the broader African maritime landscape.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, President Guelleh underscored the significance of the project to the nation’s long-term ambitions. “The DSRY project has always been a national priority, given Djibouti’s strategic location at the entrance to the Bab el-Mandeb, one of the world’s busiest maritime routes,” he said.
The Bab el-Mandeb strait, which links the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden, serves as a critical artery for global trade, channeling cargo between Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. It is against this backdrop that the new yard’s strategic importance becomes immediately apparent.
A Facility Built for Scale
The DSRY is no modest undertaking. Positioned on 80 hectares with over 800 metres of berth, the facility is equipped with a floating dock measuring 217 metres in length and 43 metres in width, with a lifting capacity of 20,100 tonnes — infrastructure capable of accommodating a wide range of vessel types. The yard is designed to deliver both preventive and corrective maintenance services, supported by a combination of international expertise and local talent.
Work at the yard did not wait for the official inauguration to begin. As far back as October 15, 2025, the first large vessel had already entered for dry-docking — the Africa Sun, a 13,719 dwt Djibouti-flagged containership operating along Red Sea and Middle Eastern routes, which docked for a month of repairs.
Aboubaker Omar Hadi, Chairman of the Djibouti Ports and Free Zones Authority, said the facility aligns squarely with Djibouti’s 2035 vision, reinforcing the country’s ambition to become the preeminent maritime services centre on the continent. Minister of Infrastructure and Equipment Hassan Houmed Ibrahim went further, describing the yard as “a strategic national asset that enhances port competitiveness, supports the blue economy, and strengthens Djibouti’s regional position.”
Arnout Damen, President of Damen Shipyards, reaffirmed his company’s commitment to the yard’s long-term operational success, signalling that this is more than a construction handover — it is an ongoing partnership.
Beyond the infrastructure itself, the DSRY is projected to create approximately 350 direct jobs and around 1,400 indirect positions, while nurturing a generation of skilled young professionals in advanced technical maritime fields.
A Strategic Move in a Competitive Region
Djibouti’s investment comes at a particularly charged moment in regional maritime politics. The Horn of Africa is witnessing intensifying competition over port access and control, with the United Arab Emirates actively expanding its footprint through investments and long-term port agreements across the region. Djibouti and the UAE have themselves been locked in prolonged legal disputes over port concession arrangements — a reminder of how high the stakes are in this arena.
For years, East Africa and the broader African continent have depended heavily on overseas facilities in the Middle East, Europe, or Asia for major vessel repairs, draining foreign exchange and adding logistical burden to ship operators. The DSRY fundamentally disrupts that pattern, offering a world-class alternative on African soil.
As maritime analysts have noted, the development reflects a wider continental trend: Africa is no longer content to serve merely as a transit corridor for global shipping. From Southern Africa to West Africa, investments in repair capacity are signalling an era of vertical integration — where ports, logistics, and ship maintenance ecosystems are being developed together. Djibouti’s DSRY is perhaps the most dramatic expression of that ambition yet.
Nigeria Watch
As Djibouti Opens Africa’s Largest Shipyard, Nigeria’s Floating Dock Remains a Cautionary Tale
The inauguration of Djibouti’s Djibouti Ship Repair Yard serves as both an inspiration and a sobering mirror for Nigeria — Africa’s most populous nation and, by rights, one of its most strategically positioned maritime players.
Nigeria is not without assets in this space. Nigerdock, located at the Snake Island Integrated Free Zone in Lagos, remains the largest shipyard facility in West Africa, boasting a 25,000 DWT graving dock, floating dock facilities, and multipurpose workshops that have serviced over 600 vessels in its more than three-decade history. The yard offers ship repair, maintenance, refurbishment, and offshore fabrication services, and has long been a point of pride for the country’s maritime sector.
Yet even as Djibouti cuts the ribbon on a $116.5 million state-of-the-art facility, Nigeria continues to grapple with the ghost of what should have been a transformative asset. A floating dry dock, procured at a cost of approximately N50 billion in public funds — now worth considerably more given naira depreciation — arrived in Nigeria as far back as 2018 and reportedly remained idle for years, caught in a web of bureaucratic bottlenecks and indecision over where to site it. Industry stakeholders have repeatedly described the situation as emblematic of a wider malaise afflicting Nigeria’s maritime infrastructure development.
Watchers of Nigeria’s maritime sector are not blind to the potential. With an estimated 5,000 ship calls annually at its ports, hundreds of active coastal vessels, and a significant fishing fleet, the commercial case for a functional, world-class ship repair ecosystem in Nigeria is overwhelming. Industry estimates have suggested the country could save upwards of N350 billion annually — and earn millions more in foreign exchange — by reducing its dependence on overseas dry-docking, which can cost operators over $1 million per tow before a single repair is carried out.
The question, as Djibouti’s example makes plain, is not whether Nigeria has the need or the resources. It is whether the country can muster the institutional will to transform that need into reality — before other nations on the continent permanently capture the market that should, by geography and volume, belong to Nigeria.
Raymond Gold is Co-publisher and Research reporter for Waterways News. For maritime industry updates, visit www.waterwaysnews.ng
Blue Economy
Oyetola Takes Nigeria’s Case on Gulf of Guinea Security and Seafarer Welfare to IMO Council in London
Oyetola Takes Nigeria’s Case on Gulf of Guinea Security and Seafarer Welfare to IMO Council in London
Minister says seafarers must not become casualties of geopolitical disputes as Nigeria presses for stronger technical support for developing maritime nations
By Ighoyota Onaibre | Waterways News
Nigeria’s Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Dr. Adegboyega Oyetola, has restated the country’s commitment to safe, secure and sustainable international shipping. He is leading a high-level delegation to the 138th session of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Council in London.
The five-day session opened on November 2 at the IMO headquarters and ends today, November 6, 2026. Nigeria’s participation is meant to strengthen its voice in global maritime governance and to advance the interests of developing maritime nations.
Nigeria sits on the 40-member Council under Category C. The session is considering the protection of vital shipping routes, the welfare and safety of seafarers, institutional governance and the sustainability of the global maritime industry.
Protecting vital shipping lanes
A central issue is the protection of strategic shipping routes against growing security threats and attacks on commercial vessels in high-risk zones. Under Agenda Item 11, “Protection of Vital Shipping Lanes,” Nigeria is expected to draw on its experience combating piracy and maritime crime in the Gulf of Guinea to push for stronger international cooperation and coordinated security responses.
“Nigeria recognises that the challenges confronting the global maritime industry require collective action, stronger international cooperation and effective regulatory frameworks,” Oyetola said. He added that Nigeria was at the Council to see its interests represented and to contribute to solutions that strengthen maritime security, protect seafarers and promote sustainable shipping.
He said the progress made in the Gulf of Guinea showed that maritime insecurity can be tackled “through political commitment, effective coordination and cooperation among regional and international partners.”
Seafarer welfare
Seafarer welfare is also high on the agenda. This follows IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez’s condemnation of the use of seafarers as pawns in geopolitical disputes. Nigeria is backing measures to prevent the arbitrary detention and abandonment of seafarers, and to ensure their fair treatment, safe repatriation and mental well-being.
“Seafarers are the lifeblood of international shipping,” Oyetola said. “Their safety, dignity and welfare must never be compromised by geopolitical tensions.”
Budget and capacity building
The Council is also reviewing financial allocations for the 2026–2027 biennium and strategic priorities for 2028–2029. Nigeria sees this as an opening to push for more technical cooperation and capacity-building support for developing maritime countries.
Oyetola said developing maritime nations “must have access to the technical expertise, institutional support and investment opportunities required to participate meaningfully in the evolving global shipping industry.”
The delegation
The minister is accompanied by:
The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, Mrs. Fatima Mahmood
The Director-General of NIMASA, Dr. Dayo Mobereola
The Director of Maritime Services, Mr. Oyinloye Meshack
Nigeria’s Alternate Permanent Representative at the IMO, Mr. William Bwala
Nigeria Watch
A heavy session. The Council has dealt with more than Nigeria’s agenda this week. Other delegations have also pressed seafarer protection and freedom of navigation, with Liberia and Indonesia among the countries that raised them. The session has also given attention to security in the Strait of Hormuz and the Black Sea. On Wednesday, the Council recommended a second four-year term for Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez, running from 2028 to 2031. The IMO Assembly must still approve it in 2027. Nigeria’s message on the Gulf of Guinea has been delivered in a crowded room.
Hormuz is a Nigerian issue. This newsroom has followed the Strait of Hormuz crisis closely, from rising freight rates to war-risk insurance premiums at Nigerian ports. Oyetola’s call to shield seafarers from geopolitical tension is not abstract. Dominguez has said thousands of seafarers in the region live and work under heightened risk, and the IMO’s tally of seafarers killed in the region since February stood at 24 as of November 5.
Where the Gulf of Guinea story stands. Nigeria is presenting its Gulf of Guinea record as a model, and the Deep Blue Project is the backbone of that claim. NIMASA has just showcased upgraded assets at AFRIDEX 2026. Delegates in London will weigh the narrative against what stakeholders at home actually experience on the water.
The home test. Nigeria’s arguments at the IMO for seafarer dignity, fair treatment and capacity-building support will carry weight in proportion to how well they are matched at home.
Questions that Waterways News continues to raise:
Do Nigerian seafarers and inland waterway workers enjoy the safety and welfare standards the minister is championing abroad?
Will the technical cooperation Nigeria is seeking reach small-scale and informal waterway operators, such as those under WABOTAN and ATBOWATON, or stay at the policy level?
With Nigeria holding a Council seat, how will diplomatic wins in London be turned into delivery at home, from CVFF disbursement to NPERA implementation?
Waterways News will keep tracking the outcome of the 138th Council session and what it means for Nigerian maritime stakeholders.
Nigeria’s Port Boom Is Outpacing Its Capacity, Dantsoho Tells World Ports Conference
Dantsoho Pitches Nigeria’s Ports to Global Investors in London, Says Lekki’s Capacity Is Exhausted
By Emamuzou Akatugba | Waterways News | London
The Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr Abubakar Dantsoho, has told global port investors that Nigeria’s fast-growing cargo volumes make the country’s ports one of Africa’s most compelling investment opportunities. He said the Tinubu administration has put investor-friendly policies in place.
Dantsoho spoke on Tuesday at the IAPH World Ports Conference in London, which runs from November 3 to 6 at Olympia. He addressed a select group of maritime investors. He is Vice-President of the International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH) and Chairman of the Port Management Association of West and Central Africa (PMAWCA).
He said Nigeria’s population, rapid urbanisation and infrastructure gaps are what make the opportunity attractive. He argued that governments across Africa cannot alone fund bigger and deeper seaports, so private investment must move in quickly.
“The investment needed in ports to meet this expansion and growth can only happen if the requisite private investment is attracted and retained,” he said. He added that President Tinubu “has created the enabling atmosphere” for this
Dantsoho said Nigeria’s population has grown from about 45 million at independence in 1960 to over 260 million. In his words, the country needs capacity to receive bigger import vessels and to move higher export volumes.
His strongest example was the Lekki Deep Sea Port. It was funded with Chinese backing and built by China Harbour at a cost of $1.6 billion. He said it was commissioned only about three years ago, yet its capacity “has been exhausted”.
“Clearly, we need more capacity to be able to contain the volumes,” he said. He added that the NPA is pleased to be capturing more cargo, since rising volumes are what lift port revenue.
He also said most cargo arriving in West Africa, largely from China, ends up in the Nigerian market. He compared Nigeria’s population with Ghana (34 million), Côte d’Ivoire (32 million), Benin Republic (14 million) and Togo (9 million).
Other reports from the conference quote Dantsoho saying federal reforms have lifted Nigeria’s exports by about 25 per cent in two years, across oil and non-oil goods. He reportedly also cited two Nigerian ports in the World Bank’s top 20 global rankings, and a Single Window system the NPA developed in 2025 with a Singaporean firm.
NIGERIA WATCH
Capacity is now the story. A $1.6bn flagship port that is already full is the clearest sign yet that Nigeria’s problem has moved from attracting ships to handling them. It strengthens the case for the new deep seaport approvals (Badagry, Olokola, Ibom, Bakassi and Bonny) that have so far been announced faster than they have been built. Investors in London will want timelines, not just approvals.
Retaining investors is harder than attracting them. Dantsoho himself used the phrase “attracted and retained”. Concession renewal anxieties, regulatory overlap among agencies, and the Strait of Hormuz crisis’s effect on freight rates and war-risk insurance all weigh on retention. These are the questions investors will ask after the speech.
Where do the small operators fit? The pitch is about big terminals and big capital. Informal inland waterway operators, represented by WABOTAN and ATBOWATON, remain absent from the conversation.
Waterways News will keep asking how port-led growth and the NPA’s assessment of inland dry ports will translate into jetties, safety and livelihoods for the informal inland waterway operators.
MARITIME TRADE & SHIPPING
NPA Credits Reforms, APM Terminals Partnership for 25% Export Growth, Eyes $1bn Apapa Overhaul
Dantsoho tells IAPH World Ports Conference in London that port revenue has quadrupled, as NPA pushes export terminals and digital platforms
By Emamuzou Akatugba | Waterways News | London
The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) says Nigeria’s exports have grown by more than 25 per cent in two years. It credits Federal Government reforms and closer collaboration with major terminal operators, especially APM Terminals.
NPA Managing Director, Dr Abubakar Dantsoho, disclosed this at the IAPH World Ports Conference in London. He said the growth was not driven mainly by oil and gas. Manufacturing and agriculture also contributed, with cocoa, cashew and other raw materials recording higher shipment volumes.
To sustain the momentum, the NPA has set up Export Processing Terminals to streamline the handling and documentation of export cargo. About four are operating nationwide. The authority works with terminal operators, the Nigeria Customs Service and other agencies so that goods are processed locally and meet required standards before shipment.
Dantsoho said the reforms have also positioned Nigeria to benefit from the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). He cited Morocco, which he described as an emerging manufacturing hub for electric and other vehicles, as an example of trade and industrial cooperation within the continent.
He linked Nigeria’s improved global port standing to operational efficiency, technology adoption and stronger industry cooperation. He said two Nigerian ports are now in the world’s top 20 in the latest World Bank ranking, and that port revenue nationwide has quadrupled alongside rising cargo volumes. The NPA also uses a regional dashboard to track port efficiency across West and Central Africa. It shows gains in Nigeria and in countries such as Tanzania and Kenya.
On infrastructure, Dantsoho said the Federal Government plans a $1 billion expansion and modernisation of Apapa Port. He stressed that the project will need substantial private capital, and that the NPA is talking to APM Terminals and other potential investors. He added that the NPA plans to deepen partnerships with industry players in countries including Morocco and South Africa.
On digital reform, the NPA has partnered with a Singaporean company on a national single-window system. Talks are ongoing with an Abu Dhabi-based firm on a port community system. Both platforms are meant to improve coordination among stakeholders, simplify cargo clearance and reduce bottlenecks.
NIGERIA WATCH
What the “top 20” actually means: The World Bank ranked Apapa and Tin Can Island among the 20 most improved ports globally. This is an improvement ranking, not a list of the world’s 20 best ports. Both appeared in the 2025 Container Port Performance Index, and Tin Can placed 10th and Apapa 12th for gains between 2020 and 2025. Both ports scored well below zero in 2020 and had only recovered to -26 by 2025, so the climb is real but the starting point was very low. The authority should be precise about this at global forums.
Oil versus non-oil: Reports of Dantsoho’s remarks differ slightly. One account says the growth covered both oil and non-oil exports. The NPA should publish the underlying figures and the baseline year so the 25 per cent claim can be verified, especially the non-oil share.
Private capital and the Apapa plan: A $1 billion Apapa upgrade that depends largely on private investors makes terminal concession terms and port dues central issues for shippers and the Nigerian Shippers’ Council. Stakeholders will want to know who bears the cost, and whether efficiency gains will show up in lower charges.
The small operators’ angle: Export terminals, single-window and port community systems all target the seaport cargo chain. The informal inland waterway operators represented by WABOTAN and ATBOWATON see little of this attention. As reforms are celebrated in London, a fair test of “the blue economy” is whether feeder services, jetties and inland routes get matching investment.
What to watch: the NPA’s data on the four export terminals, the Apapa investment structure, and delivery dates for the single-window and port community platforms.
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