WPC: How Dantsoho Showcased Tinubu’s Investor-friendly Maritime Policies

With a $1 billion port modernisation programme underway, the Port Community System and National Single Window gaining ground and other far-reaching reforms being pursued, the Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority, Dr Abubakar Dantsoho, is intensifying efforts to attract international capital into Nigeria’s maritime sector. At the recently concluded World Ports Conference in London, he presented the investment opportunities created by the President Bola Tinubu administration’s policies, urging global investors to take advantage of the country’s expanding cargo market and earn sustainable returns.** Eromosele Abiodun writes**

Nigeria’s maritime sector appears to be entering an important phase of transformation, driven by an ambitious programme of infrastructure renewal, digitalisation, trade facilitation and institutional reforms. At the centre of this renewed push is the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), whose management, under Dr Abubakar Dantsoho, is seeking to reposition the country’s ports as competitive gateways for international trade and attractive destinations for global investment. For an economy with Nigeria’s population, commercial potential and strategic position in West and Central Africa, the importance of an efficient port system cannot be overstated. Ports are not merely points of entry and exit for cargoes; they are critical economic infrastructure that influences the cost of doing business, industrial productivity, export competitiveness, employment generation and the country’s ability to participate effectively in global supply chains.

It is against this background that Dantsoho’s recent appearance at the World Ports Conference in London deserves attention. Rather than limiting his engagement to showcasing ongoing government projects, the NPA managing director used the international maritime gathering to present a compelling investment proposition to global port operators, financiers, infrastructure developers and technology companies. His message was straightforward: Nigeria has an expanding maritime market, significant infrastructure requirements and an administration that has demonstrated its commitment to creating an investment-friendly environment. The country therefore offers opportunities for investors willing to participate in the development of modern port infrastructure and associated maritime services.

The significance of this intervention extends beyond the conference itself. It reflects a growing recognition by the NPA leadership that government funding alone cannot deliver the scale of port infrastructure required to meet Nigeria’s expanding trade requirements. Mobilising private capital, developing strategic partnerships and strengthening investor confidence must consequently form an integral part of the country’s maritime development strategy.

Dantsoho’s Investment Advocacy

Addressing international maritime investors at the conference, organised by the International Association of Ports and Harbours (IAPH), Dantsoho highlighted Nigeria’s large population, rapid urbanisation and infrastructure deficit as compelling reasons for increased investment in the nation’s ports.

He argued that the country’s demographic and economic expansion would continue to generate demand for additional port capacity, more sophisticated cargo-handling facilities and deeper channels capable of accommodating larger vessels.

According to him, Nigeria’s population, which stood at approximately 45 million at independence in 1960, has grown to more than 260 million, creating corresponding pressure on transportation infrastructure and logistics services.

He stressed that the investment required to accommodate this expansion could only be mobilised through the attraction and retention of substantial private-sector capital.

He maintained that governments across Africa had increasingly recognised their limitations in financing capital-intensive port projects, particularly the construction of larger and deeper seaports. Consequently, private investors must play a more prominent role in closing the infrastructure gap.

Dantsoho’s intervention was particularly significant because it presented Nigeria’s infrastructure challenges not simply as developmental obstacles but as commercially viable opportunities.

For international investors, the argument is compelling. Growing cargo volumes, increasing consumption, expanding industrial activities and the need for more efficient export corridors create opportunities across port construction, terminal operations, marine services, logistics, warehousing, equipment leasing and digital trade infrastructure.

His position also reflects the understanding that attracting investors requires more than announcing projects. Investors must be convinced that there is sufficient demand, a supportive policy environment, credible institutions and the prospect of reasonable returns over the lifespan of their investments.

Dantsoho, who also serves as Vice-President of the IAPH and Chairman of the Port Management Association of West and Central Africa (PMAWCA), brought considerable regional and international industry exposure to Nigeria’s investment pitch.

Tinubu’s Maritime Reform Agenda

One of the strongest elements of Dantsoho’s presentation was his emphasis on the investor-friendly policies of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

The administration’s broader economic reform agenda has placed renewed emphasis on private-sector participation, infrastructure development, investment mobilisation and the creation of an environment in which businesses can operate more efficiently.

In the maritime sector, these objectives are reflected in the drive to modernise port infrastructure, improve operational efficiency, simplify trade procedures and strengthen Nigeria’s competitiveness as a regional maritime destination.

The NPA’s ongoing initiatives demonstrate that the government recognises the relationship between efficient ports and national economic growth.

For decades, inadequate infrastructure, congestion, obsolete equipment, lengthy cargo-clearance procedures and high logistics costs have constrained the competitiveness of Nigerian ports. These challenges have increased the cost of importing raw materials and machinery while making Nigerian exports less competitive in international markets.

Addressing these problems requires a coordinated approach involving infrastructure renewal, technology deployment, regulatory efficiency and sustained collaboration with private operators.

Dantsoho’s investment advocacy is therefore an important complement to the administration’s reform agenda. By taking Nigeria’s maritime investment proposition to an international audience, he is seeking to ensure that the opportunities created by government policies translate into actual investment commitments.

Port Modernisation Programme

Perhaps the most visible demonstration of the government’s commitment to transforming the sector is the $1 billion Port Modernisation Programme being pursued by the NPA.

The programme represents a major intervention in the country’s ageing port infrastructure, with plans to rehabilitate critical facilities, reconstruct quay walls, deepen navigational channels and introduce modern equipment and automated terminal infrastructure.

The modernisation initiative is particularly important because the competitiveness of a port depends significantly on its ability to receive larger vessels, accommodate increasing cargo volumes and provide efficient services to shipping companies and cargo owners.

The rehabilitation of Apapa and Tin Can Island ports in Lagos, alongside interventions across other port locations, is expected to address longstanding infrastructure deficiencies and improve operational capacity.

Beyond the physical reconstruction, the programme has the potential to stimulate investment across the maritime value chain. Port construction and rehabilitation will create opportunities for engineering companies, equipment manufacturers, technology providers, marine contractors and other specialised service providers.

More importantly, modern infrastructure will improve the attractiveness of Nigerian ports to international terminal operators and shipping companies seeking efficient locations for their operations.

The programme is therefore not simply a government expenditure initiative. Properly implemented, it can serve as a catalyst for private investment, industrial development, job creation and increased trade.

Dantsoho deserves commendation for placing the modernisation programme at the centre of the NPA’s development strategy and linking it to the broader objective of making Nigerian ports more attractive to international investors.

**Port Community System and **NSW

While infrastructure modernisation is essential, the future competitiveness of ports will also depend on the extent to which their operations embrace technology.

Recognising this, the NPA has continued to pursue digital transformation through the development of the Port Community System (PCS) and the National Single Window (NSW).

These initiatives are designed to address some of the most persistent problems confronting port users, particularly fragmented documentation, multiple interfaces with government agencies, procedural delays and inadequate coordination among stakeholders.

The National Single Window is expected to provide a unified electronic platform through which traders can submit trade-related information and documentation to relevant government agencies. This will reduce duplication, improve transparency and simplify regulatory procedures.

Similarly, the Port Community System will facilitate the electronic exchange of information among shipping companies, terminal operators, freight forwarders, customs authorities, transport operators and other port stakeholders.

The importance of these platforms cannot be underestimated. In modern international trade, efficiency is increasingly determined not only by the quality of physical infrastructure but also by the speed, reliability and transparency of information exchange.

For investors and shipping companies, reduced delays translate into lower operational costs, better predictability and improved returns. For importers and exporters, efficient documentation and cargo-clearance procedures can significantly reduce the cost of moving goods.

The digitalisation initiatives therefore complement the $1 billion modernisation programme by ensuring that investments in physical infrastructure are matched by improvements in operational processes.

Dantsoho’s leadership in advancing these projects reflects an understanding that Nigeria cannot achieve its ambition of becoming a major maritime hub through infrastructure spending alone. Technology, institutional coordination and efficient service delivery must also be prioritised.

Growing Cargo Market

Another important argument in Nigeria’s investment proposition is the performance and growing capacity requirements of Lekki Deep Sea Port.

The facility, developed through substantial private-sector investment, demonstrates the potential of partnerships between government and international investors in delivering major maritime infrastructure.

Dantsoho told investors that the port’s capacity had been exhausted barely three years after its commissioning, highlighting the pace at which demand for modern port facilities was growing.

The observation reinforces the need for additional investments in port capacity, particularly facilities capable of receiving larger vessels and handling higher volumes of cargo.

Nigeria’s large consumer market also provides an important commercial advantage. As the largest economy in West Africa by population and one of the continent’s major trading destinations, the country attracts significant volumes of imports and has considerable potential for export growth.

Dantsoho noted that much of the cargo entering the West African market ultimately finds its way into Nigeria because of the country’s large population and market size.

This presents an opportunity for investors to develop facilities and services that can serve both Nigeria and neighbouring landlocked and coastal economies.

However, realising this potential will require sustained investment in road and rail connections, inland logistics facilities, efficient cargo evacuation systems and the integration of ports with industrial and agricultural production centres.