Dantsoho’s push to boost maritime activities at eastern ports

BY BOLADELE ILEMOBOLA

Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, is sustaining conscious steps aimed at improving ship traffic to  the eastern ports and repositioning them for optimum efficiency.

As part of the Authority’s contribution to boosting the national economy, Dantsoho is working tirelessly to maximise the potentials of Onne and Porthacourt ports while also reviving the existing ports in Calabar, Warri and other parts of the South South without losing focus on greenfield port projects.

Benefit to Northern Industrial Clusters

For years, shipping into Nigeria meant Lagos ports first, everywhere else second. The Eastern Ports- Port Harcourt, Onne, Warri, and Calabar- were left in the shadows despite their proximity to key markets and resource corridors. Despite its potential, weak infrastructure and limited connectivity kept the Eastern ports underused. Lagos absorbed over 90 per cent of maritime traffic while Eastern facilities ran below a third of their capacity.

But today, that story is beginning to change. Under the leadership of Dantsoho. Eastern ports are being repositioned as a competitive gateway. For shippers, the benefits are obvious- shorter turnaround times, closer access to the South-East and North-Central industrial clusters, lower transportation costs, and the ability to move agricultural and mineral products more efficiently.

All these are aimed at deepening Nigeria’s participation in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) regime.

To demonstrate his hands on approach, Dantsoho embarked on a series of tours of focussed on driving investment into the Eastern Ports. These tours have started to yield expressions of interest for Rivers, Calabar, and Burutu Ports. One of these is the recently celebrated call of the wholly Nigerian-owned MV Ocean Dragon at Onne’s West African Container Terminal (WACT) on July 31, 2025.

With a 349 TEU capacity, the MV Ocean Dragon shall be plying routes across West, Central, and Southern Africa, exemplifying the “Nigeria First” policy and pronouncing Nigeria as a key player in intra African trade. Through these efforts, the NPA is showing its commitment to integrating Nigerian producers with global markets and maximising the immediate benefits of the proximate African trade corridor by water.

Dantsoho’s management introduced new tariffs, which became effective on March 1, 2025. The tariffs reflect operational costs while maintaining competitiveness and enhancing the actualisation of the Authority’s 25-year master plan which emphasizes automation, cybersecurity, and sustainability, including a proposed “Green Craft Acquisition Fund” for IMO-compliant vessels.

Partnerships and Achievements

The NPA has continued to pursue strategic partnerships, which are driving growth. For instance, Hapag-Lloyd launched a weekly service at Onne, connecting Eastern Nigeria to global routes and enhancing transshipment under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

Collaborations with relevant agencies of government like the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) for 24-hour operations also aim at reducing cargo release times and curb diversions to neighbouring ports.

And performance metrics reflect success so far. Records show that service boat Gross Registered Tonnage (GRT) rose 129.3% to 4.58 million tons in 2024. The Eastern Ports have also seen larger vessels berth safely, with stakeholders like Indorama reporting higher export tonnages.

In anticipation of the growth that this progress growth indicates, the NPA projects ₦1.28 trillion in revenue for 2025, up from N894.86 billion in 2024. And the development in the Eastern Ports contributes significantly to the projected revenue rise. Buoyed by the fruits of its effort so far, the NPA is a new incentive regime to encourage patronage of non-Lagos ports, including discounts and streamlined processes for Eastern corridors. And in achieving that, the Authority is aligning with the Federal Government’s “Nigeria First” which emphasises infrastructure modernization, operational efficiency, and indigenous participation in the maritime sector. Discussions with stakeholders like the Seaport Terminal Operators Association of Nigeria (STOAN) have therefore, focussed on boosting indigenous ownership and short-sea shipping.

Driving Tinubu’s Economic Diversification

Apart from rebuilding investors’ confidence to attract foreign direct investments (FDI) to viable private sector initiatives like ship building and repairs, NPA is presently at the heart of the federal government’s drive to strengthen Nigeria’s economic diversification options through a sustainable blue economy Ventures like ship building, ship repair and other dry dock activities are attracting attention.

At a recent forum in Lagos, Founder of Starz Marine and Engineering Limited in Rivers State, Engr. Greg Ogbeifun, disclosed the commitment of $350 million loan by Afrexim Bank to facilitate shipbuilding and expansion of the yard.

This, he stated, will aid the expansion of the Starz’s shipyard from 500 tons to 10,000 ton lifting capacity, 120 meter long circle lift, for the purpose of achieving quality ship repair and building which Nigerians have had cause to travel for.

Infrastructure Modernisation

A cornerstone of the NPA’s strategy is significant investment in port infrastructure to accommodate larger vessels and reduce vessel turnaround times.

Port Harcourt, though historic, was underdeveloped, Onne thrived as an oil and gas base but not for as container-handling, Warri struggled with shallow approaches through Escravos, while Calabar, battled draft restrictions that discouraged major carriers. These barriers created a cycle of neglect and reinforced Lagos’ dominance.

The Dantsoho led administration at Nigerian Ports Authority, has however made breaking cycle a priority. With reforms that include infrastructural and equipment upgrades, financial incentives, and stakeholder engagement have been put forward. Channel dredging and rehabilitation are said to be ongoing at Warri, Onne, and Calabar to accommodate larger

At Onne Port Complex, a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) with West African Container Terminal (WACT) Nigeria Limited has advanced Terminal ‘B’ expansion (Berths 7 and 8) to 62% completion, with over $110 million invested.

This upgrade is part of a broader $2.9 billion Onne Port Expansion Phase 4B project which is the largest port investment in Africa over the past decade

Additionally, a 6,000 metric tonne bitumen tank is nearing completion at Rivers Port Complex, enhancing storage and supporting regional infrastructure needs.

The NPA has now secured $1.1 billion for comprehensive rehabilitation across Eastern Ports, including Onne, Rivers, Calabar, and Warri. Key projects include road network integration at Onne’s Berths 9-11, installation of marine fenders authority-wide, and surveys for shore protection at Escravos breakwaters in Warri.

Navigational aids and buoys have been deployed in Warri and Calabar Pilotage Districts to improve channel marking and safety. These enhancements have led to unprecedented cargo traffic, particularly at Onne, attributed to improved channel security and reduced attacks on vessels.

Dredging efforts are also ongoing to increase draught depths, such as targeting 11 meters at Onne and Calabar to handle bigger ships with a mind on avoiding past situations like the stalled $12.5million contract and legal conundrum.

Although Onne has welcomed ships that once avoided the corridor. Security patrols across the Niger Delta are supported by partner agencies, thereby reducing piracy and other threats at sea while reassuring international shipping lines of the security of their vessels. On the commercial side, tariff rebates on harbour dues has lowered cost for users of the Eastern ports, while terminal concessions are driving private investment in modern cargo-handling equipment.

Hopefully through the Port Harcourt-Maiduguri rail, the North-East would have a direct maritime outlet, where agricultural produce and solid minerals can be exported from. This is exactly what an efficient port system is.

Furthermore, the, NPA has acquired state-of-the-art harbour crafts, including two 80-tonne Bollard Pull tugboats (M.T. Maikoko and M.T. Da-Opukuro), the first of their kind in Africa to eliminate berthing and sailing delays These vessels, complemented by additional tugboats and pilot cutters, have improved efficiency, with average vessel turnaround time dropping to 5.16 days so far. The Electronic Call-up (Eto) system and Export Processing Terminals (EPTs) have also streamlined operations, boosting export volumes by 60% in some terminals. Opening of ‘Road D’ at Onne has also alleviated logistics bottlenecks, attracting commendations from truckers. That is in addition to several other initiatives that support multimodal transport and align with International Association for Ports and Harbours (IAPH) standards for port-hinterland connectivity.

Eastern Porta as Maritime Hub

The NPA’s multifaceted approach —combining infrastructure upgrades, equipment acquisitions, incentives, and partnerships, to improve delivery positions the Eastern Ports as vital economic engines.

Under the supervision of His Excellency, Gboyega Oyetola, these efforts promise sustained ease of doing business and blue economy optimization. As transshipment figures from Lekki Deep Seaport rise and trade surpluses grow, the Eastern Ports, with continued focus on security, dredging, and indigenous capacity, are poised for even greater vessel traffic and investment, contributing to Nigeria’s maritime renaissance.

Succour for Traders, Manufacturers

Thanks to NPA, manufacturers in Aba, traders in Onitsha, and industrial clusters in Nnewi can now route their cargo through the Eastern ports nearest to them, saving time and money. With this new dawn, Onne will strengthen its dominance as the Gulf of Guinea’s offshore logistics hub. Port Harcourt and Calabar can become lifelines to South-East and linkages to Cameroon and Central Africa.

Like the legendary King Midas, whose hands turned anything he touched to gold, Dr Dantsoho is championing a regime of deploying human resources and materials to where matters most, focusing attention on critical areas of NPA functions that affects the economy.

His hands on approach to management and leadership is providing a hybrid of government, private and sector collaboration that daily draws Nigeria closer to the full realisation of becoming the leading maritime country in West and Central Africa.

His impactful work in progress mode is a testament to his decades of involvement in port activities as a youth corps member in NPA to an employee who grew through the ranks that providence has seen to now lead the NPA as MD. There is a consensus that he is President Tinubu’s most experienced maritime appointee who justifies the trust by creating an enabling environment for unfettered growth in the nation’s blue economy ecosystem

Ilemobola lives in Lagos.