Blue Economy
Nigerian Ports Authority Records Landmark Q1 Growth as Cargo Throughput Surges to 32.38 Million Tonnes, Vessel Tonnage Jumps 19.5%
Nigerian Ports Authority Records Landmark Q1 Growth as Cargo Throughput Surges to 32.38 Million Tonnes, Vessel Tonnage Jumps 19.5%
By Okeoghene Onoriobe | Waterways News Reporter | Lagos | May 13, 2026
Nigeria’s maritime sector has opened 2026 on a commanding note, with the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) posting some of its strongest first-quarter operational numbers in recent memory — a performance that port industry observers say reflects the cumulative effect of years of infrastructure investment, institutional reforms, and Nigeria’s deepening integration into continental trade networks.
According to the NPA’s Q1 2026 Operational Performance Review, total cargo throughput across the country’s commercial ports — excluding crude oil terminals — climbed by 11.6 per cent year-on-year to 32.38 million metric tonnes, up from 29.02 million metric tonnes recorded during the corresponding period in 2025. The figure represents one of the most robust quarterly cargo volumes the authority has reported, and signals that Nigerian ports are handling significantly more goods in less time than in previous years.
Equally significant was the 19.5 per cent leap in Gross Registered Tonnage (GRT) of ocean-going vessels, which hit 46.75 million in the first quarter — a development analysts say reflects growing confidence among global shipping lines in the country’s port infrastructure. GRT is a widely used maritime metric that measures the total internal volume of a vessel and is a reliable indicator of the size and cargo capacity of ships calling at a port. The rise suggests that larger, more modern vessels are increasingly choosing Nigerian ports as preferred destinations — a significant vote of confidence from the global shipping industry.
Export Surge Anchors Growth Story
Among the most telling statistics in the NPA’s Q1 report is the dramatic growth in outward cargo traffic. Exports from Nigerian ports surged by 23.7 per cent in the first quarter, reaching 14.13 million metric tonnes — a volume that signals a meaningful shift in Nigeria’s role within global supply chains from a predominantly import-dependent economy to one with growing export muscle.
Containerised export traffic recorded even sharper growth. Outward laden container traffic jumped by 67.6 per cent from 61,332 Twenty-foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) in Q1 2025 to 102,803 TEUs in Q1 2026 — a near-doubling of export container volumes in just one year. Industry stakeholders say this exceptional leap reflects improved export logistics, better terminal productivity, and the increasing competitiveness of Nigerian-made goods in regional and global markets.
The NPA attributed the overall cargo growth to a combination of factors: rising trade volumes, stronger import and export activities, improved port productivity, and sustained demand for terminal services across the country’s commercial ports.
Vehicle Traffic Doubles, Transshipment Activity Booms
The strong performance was not limited to general cargo. Vehicle throughput at Nigerian ports recorded remarkable growth, with total vehicle units handled rising by 67 per cent to 58,870 units in Q1 2026, compared to 35,262 units handled in the same period of 2025. This sharp increase reflects rising demand for automobiles and commercial vehicles in Nigeria, as well as improvements in Ro-Ro (Roll-on Roll-off) terminal operations at key ports.
Transshipment container activity was another standout performer, rising by 83.1 per cent during the quarter. Transshipment refers to the movement of cargo through one port before it is transferred onto smaller feeder vessels for onward delivery to other destinations. The dramatic growth in this category is particularly significant for Nigeria’s strategic maritime ambitions, as it suggests that Nigerian ports — particularly the Lekki Deep Sea Port — are increasingly being used as regional cargo redistribution hubs, capturing cargo that would previously have been transshipped through ports in neighbouring countries such as Togo and Côte d’Ivoire.
Lekki Deep Sea Port Effect
A recurring theme in the NPA’s Q1 report is the role of the Lekki Deep Sea Port in driving the shift towards larger vessels. The port, which became operational in 2023 and has progressively ramped up its handling capacity, is designed to accommodate ultra-large container vessels that previously bypassed Nigeria due to draft limitations at older terminals.
The NPA noted that the increase in vessel GRT reflects a strategic shift toward larger and more efficient vessels, driven partly by the operational impact of the Lekki facility and expanding trade demand. As Lekki continues to mature and attract more mainline shipping services, analysts expect vessel tonnage figures to climb further in subsequent quarters.
NPA Boss Pushes for Competitiveness Under AfCFTA
The Q1 results come as the federal government intensifies efforts to position Nigeria as a dominant regional maritime trade hub under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) framework. The landmark trade agreement, which aims to create a single African market of over 1.4 billion people, is seen as a critical growth driver for port economies with the infrastructure to handle rising intra-African trade flows.
Speaking at a recent industry forum in Lagos, NPA Managing Director, Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, underscored the urgency of this ambition. He said Nigeria’s ports must evolve beyond traditional limitations if the country hopes to compete effectively in a rapidly integrating African market. Dr. Dantsoho has consistently pushed for greater investment in port technology, faster cargo dwell time reduction, and the modernisation of port governance to attract more international shipping traffic.
Reform Drive Underpins Growth Momentum
The buoyant Q1 numbers do not exist in isolation. They are the product of sustained policy reforms and infrastructure investments by successive administrations, accelerated under the Tinubu government, which has made port efficiency a key plank of its economic growth agenda.
Among the initiatives currently shaping port performance is the planned rehabilitation of the Lagos Port Complex and Tin Can Island Port following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding for a $1 billion infrastructure overhaul — a project expected to significantly boost handling capacity and reduce the cost of doing business at Nigeria’s busiest port cluster.
The government has also intensified its push for digitalisation across port operations, with the NPA advancing the use of electronic cargo tracking, paperless documentation, and digital revenue collection systems that aim to reduce bottlenecks and eliminate leakages.
Looking Ahead
With Nigeria’s trade volumes growing, larger vessels calling more frequently, and export container traffic nearly doubling in a single year, the maritime sector appears well-placed to sustain its growth momentum into the second quarter of 2026. The key challenge for the NPA and the broader industry will be ensuring that port infrastructure and service delivery keep pace with rising cargo demand — and that the efficiency gains reflected in Q1 data are not undermined by perennial issues such as port congestion, poor hinterland connectivity, and the slow clearance of goods at terminals.
For now, however, the Q1 2026 Operational Performance Review offers compelling evidence that Nigeria’s ports are moving in the right direction — and that the country’s maritime sector, long underperforming its potential, may finally be stepping into the role its geography and market size have always demanded.
Waterways News is Nigeria’s foremost publication covering maritime, inland waterways, and port industry developments. For more stories, visit www.waterwaysnews.ng
$200m Fish Lifeline: FG Taps World Bank Funds to Push States Towards Fish Sufficiency
Oyetola Sets Sights on Net Exporter Status as FG Secures $200m World Bank Backing for State-Led Aquaculture
By Okeoghene Onoriobe | Waterways News
The Federal Government says it has secured a $200 million commitment from the World Bank Group to drive fisheries and aquaculture production nationwide, as it moves to cut fish imports and close a supply gap of more than 2.2 million tonnes.
The money will be lent to state governments on concessional terms. It is meant to help them expand fish production, attract investment and build viable aquaculture projects.
The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Dr Adegboyega Oyetola, announced this at an Executive Training on the Aquaculture Investment Guide, organised by his ministry with the World Bank Group in Abuja. He was represented by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Marine and Blue Economy, Professor Busayo Fakinlede.
Oyetola said fish is central to food security, household nutrition and rural livelihoods, and that Nigeria cannot be food secure while importing most of its fish. He said the goal is to “produce more, import less” and eventually become a net exporter, which he said requires every state to play its part.
The numbers
Nigeria needs about 3.6 million tonnes of fish a year but produces roughly 1.4 million tonnes. Imports cover the gap and cost nearly $1 billion annually in foreign exchange.
State-driven framework
Under the ministry’s framework, each state is expected to:
identify priority aquaculture value chains
assess investment readiness
develop bankable project pipelines
commit to measurable contributions to national fish output
The training brought together commissioners from Rivers, Bayelsa, Delta and Cross River States, plus permanent secretaries and directors of fisheries and aquaculture from across the federation. It covered business models, risk management, environmental and social safeguards, and public-private partnerships.
A Federal-State interface is also planned to coordinate a national fish security strategy.
Oyetola commended the World Bank for its support on analytical studies, cluster-based development, capacity building and the Aquaculture Investment Guide. He will oversee a post-training stakeholders’ roundtable with states and other stakeholders to sustain momentum.
Ministry’s scorecard
Fakinlede credited the minister’s leadership for:
the August 2026 inauguration of the Technical Committee on Accelerating Fish Production
digitisation of fish import licensing
a rise in national output from 1.1 million to 1.4 million tonnes
US shrimp-export certification after compliance with Turtle Excluder Device requirements
the Fish City and Fish Terminal investment portfolio to attract private capital
NIGERIA WATCH
Read the fine print. As of 9 November, I could not find a published World Bank project document for the $200 million, and the figure rests on the ministry’s statement. The repayment period, interest rate, per-state allocation and disbursement date have not been made public, and it is unclear whether this is new money or part of financing already agreed. Waterways News should press the ministry on these before treating the figure as settled.
Loans, not grants. States carry the debt and must show bankable projects. Strong states like Rivers, Bayelsa, Delta and Cross River, whose commissioners attended, sit on the water and are best placed to benefit. Inland and riverine communities lacking project-preparation capacity risk being left behind.
The missing small operators. The framework speaks of investors, PPPs and bankable pipelines. It says little about artisanal fishers, boat operators and fishing communities, including those represented by WABOTAN and ATBOWATON, who supply and move much of the country’s fish. Without cold chains, landing jetties, safe water transport and affordable engines, higher production will not reach markets.
Policy versus delivery. The target is ambitious, with output reportedly up from 1.1 million to 1.4 million tonnes. Yet Nigeria still meets under 40 per cent of its fish demand, and it has heard similar promises before, from the Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund onward. The test is whether the roundtable produces dates, allocations and measurable state commitments.
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.
Blue Economy
NIWA Deploys Enforcers to Niger Waterfronts as Boat Operators Cry Out Over Life Jacket Shortage
NIWA Deploys Enforcers to Niger Waterfronts as Boat Operators Cry Out Over Life Jacket Shortage
Operators say a 300-seater has only seven jackets, and ask for prices to drop from N20,000 to as low as N5,000
By Raymond Gold | Waterways News
The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) has sent enforcement personnel to waterfronts across Niger State to make life jacket use compulsory and ensure compliance with inland waterways safety rules.
NIWA’s Minna Area Manager, Akapo Adeboye, announced this at the 2026 Sensitisation and Enlightenment Campaign on Inland Waterways Regulations at Zumba Waterfront, Shiroro Local Government Area. The campaign theme was “Total Safety Measures and Compliance on the Nation’s Inland Waterways.”
Adeboye said NIWA has given 3,500 life jackets to boat operators at waterfronts across the state. He was troubled, however, that some operators neither wear the jackets nor provide them for passengers during trips.
He also condemned operators who charge passengers extra to use a life jacket, saying this discourages compliance. He said the safety of lives and property remains a priority of the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, and that operators and passengers alike must wear life jackets before boarding. Violators, he warned, will face the full weight of the law.
Some operators at the event said scarcity and cost make full compliance impossible.
Adamu Gunduma said his boat carries 300 passengers but he has seven life jackets, one of them for himself. The other six go to passengers on a first-come, first-served basis.
Adamu Tanko said his 150-passenger boat has three life jackets.
Saidu Sani said his 40-passenger boat has none, for himself or his passengers.
Abubakar Mamman-Kwanu appealed to government and other stakeholders for more jackets through donations and support programmes.
The operators said a life jacket costs about N20,000 on the market and asked authorities to bring the price down to between N5,000 and N6,000. They added that high prices and falling farm-produce prices could keep many farmers from buying one. Farmers, they said, make up a large share of water transport users in the area. They called for stronger government intervention, arguing that easier access to life jackets would improve compliance and prevent avoidable deaths.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) first reported the development on Monday.
Nigeria Watch
Enforcement is arriving before supply. Gunduma, Tanko and Sani together operate boats licensed for 490 passengers, yet they reported 10 life jackets between them. Telling such operators to refuse boarding without a jacket is, for now, an order they cannot obey. Cheap jackets must reach waterfronts before penalties are enforced, or enforcement will fall hardest on the poorest operators.
NIWA has also faced a misuse problem. Adeboye said in an earlier interview that people sell the jackets, use them as pillows or farm tools. He said that when his team revisited a waterfront after a 3,500-jacket flag-off, they could not find one in use. Both complaints can be true at once, and the way out is a mix of local ownership, fitting by boat capacity and visible checks by marshals.
The stakes are real and well documented. After a July 2025 mishap at Zumba, Adeboye said 26 passengers wearing life jackets were rescued alive, 15 bodies were recovered and three people were missing. He noted that the incident came eight days after a NIWA sensitization campaign at the same waterfront.
Marshals and penalties are already in place. Waterways marshals were inaugurated at Zumba to enforce transport regulations. Adeboye has also said NIWA gazetted penalty codes for operators and passengers who fail to comply. The open question is whether operators get realistic access to compliance before sanctions bite.
Questions for NIWA and the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy:
How many jackets are needed to cover the licensed capacity of boats at Niger waterfronts, against the 3,500 supplied?
Can bulk procurement or local assembly bring the N20,000 price down?
Will NIWA publish compliance figures and sanctions issued after the campaign?
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