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FG TO MODERNISE, UPGRADE EASTERN PORTS
The Federal Government says it is modernising the Western Ports in Apapa and upgrading the Eastern Ports in Onne, Calabar, and Rivers to promote balanced regional growth.
Mr Adegboyega Oyetola, Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, said this in a statement signed on Tuesday in Abuja by his Media Adviser, Dr Bolaji Akinola.
Oyetola said government was finalising the Port Community System, integrated with the National Single Window, to create a paperless, transparent, and secure digital environment for maritime stakeholders.
He said government was working to replicate the Lekki Deep Seaport success across Nigeria’s maritime sector, describing it as a model for transformative growth and development.
According to him, valued at $1.5 billion, the Lekki facility is hailed as a landmark achievement and a game-changer for West Africa’s maritime industry.
“The Lekki Deep Seaport has capacity to handle 1.2 million TEUs, accommodate large vessels, and has already generated thousands of direct and indirect jobs.
“The Lekki playbook rests on five pillars: strategic location, strong public–private partnership, integrated transport links, supportive policies, and technology-driven operations.
“A central component of the administration’s strategy is the nationwide application of the public–private partnership model and logistical efficiency demonstrated by the Lekki Deep Seaport.
“The maritime industry stands at the heart of our economic aspirations, not merely as a trade conduit but as a catalyst for industrial growth, jobs, and regional integration.
“Our vision is clear, to build a modern, safe, efficient, and globally competitive maritime sector that fully unlocks Nigeria’s economic potential,” he said.
Oyetola said the Lekki Deep Seaport demonstrated what could be achieved when policy, vision, investment, and execution were properly aligned.
He said government was committed to applying successful models nationwide to transform Nigeria’s port system into a network of modern, efficient, and globally competitive gateways.
Oyetola, however, stressed the need for consistent policies, sustained infrastructure investment, targeted capacity building, accelerated digital transformation, and enduring private sector partnerships.
This, he said, would enable the replication of Lekki’s success in other regions.
He urged stakeholders to replicate, refine, and scale the model for Nigeria’s prosperity and for the wider African continent.
He commended the completion of critical access roads, which for the first time in decades, had freed Nigerian ports from long-standing logistical bottlenecks.
Oyetola said cargo now moved faster from ports, investors operated with renewed confidence, and trade flowed with fewer delays.
He added that the port, currently operating at only 20 per cent capacity, presented vast untapped opportunities for investors.
He restated that government had directed the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) to begin immediate disbursement of the Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund (CVFF) to qualified Nigerian shipowners.
He emphasised that a strong national shipping fleet remained essential for building local capacity and asserting Nigeria’s presence on global trade lanes, with the goal of a National Flag Carrier.
