Building a New Maritime Powerhouse: The Eastern Ports’ Ascent
With over 30 per cent of total imports through the South-West ports re-transported to the eastern region, coupled with the potential to create over two million jobs, the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) is pushing the economic diversification agenda via sustainable blue economy ventures, including shipbuilding, ship repair and other dry dock activities in the Southeast, ADAKU ONYENUCHEYA reports.
Eastern ports are projected to become the hub for economic growth and development in Nigeria while playing a lead role in the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) implementation.
But they are marred by challenges limiting their potential to contribute significantly to the economy. Like others, some of their setbacks are policy issues, technical challenges, insecurity, shallow depth limiting large vessel movement, poor access roads hindering cargo movement and deplorable berths and a lack of equipment to facilitate trade.
For years, shipping into Nigeria has been Lagos-centric. This continued even after other ports were developed. Specifically, eastern ports, including Port Harcourt, Onne, Warri and Calabar, were left in the shadows despite their proximity to key markets and resource corridors.
While the ports have the potential to handle 35 per cent of Nigeria’s marine business, create over two million jobs and stimulate economic growth in the region, weak infrastructure and limited connectivity have kept them underused.
Lagos absorbs over 90 per cent of maritime traffic, while Eastern facilities are constrained to operate below a third of their capacity to date, with little or no investment to revive them.
Analysts have suggested a presidential endorsement is crucial for strategic investment drives and commitments, with strategic investment necessary for port development and economic growth, as well as encouraging public-private partnerships and stakeholder engagement.
The NPA, worried by the underperformance of the ports, has commenced a move to sustain the conscious attempts aimed at improving ship traffic to the eastern ports and repositioning them for optimum efficiency.
The Authority is also working tirelessly to maximise the potential of Onne and Port Harcourt ports, while reviving the existing ports in Calabar, Warri and other parts of the South-South without losing focus on greenfield port projects.
Proximity to industrial clusters
Despite the challenges plaguing the eastern ports, there has been some progress recorded in activities around the region. The Managing Director of NPA, Dr Abubakar Dantsoho, began the repositioning of the ports 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, as well as the ability to move agricultural and mineral products more efficiently.
These are aimed at deepening Nigeria’s participation in the AfCFTA regime and enabling it to regain the position of maritime hub of West Africa and Central Africa.
To ensure the region bounces back, Dantsoho embarked on a series of tours focused on driving investment into the Eastern ports. The tours have triggered 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 twenty-foot equivalent Unit (TEU) capacity, the MV Ocean Dragon will be plying routes across West, Central and Southern Africa, exemplifying the “Nigeria First” policy and promoting it as a key player in intra-African trade, the Authority has said.
Through these efforts, the NPA is showing its commitment to integrating Nigerian producers with global markets and maximising the immediate benefits of connecting Africa by water for trade.
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 emphasised automation, cybersecurity, and sustainability, including a proposed “Green Craft Acquisition Fund” for International Maritime Organisation (IMO)-compliant vessels.
The NPA is also sustaining conscious steps aimed at improving ship traffic to the eastern ports and repositioning them for optimum efficiency.
Critical partnerships
Experts have continuously called for investments to revamp Eastern ports and boost economic growth, including upgrading port infrastructure, roads and rail linkages, improving waterway and surrounding area security, as well as attracting investments through public-private partnerships (PPP).
The NPA has also 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 AfCFTA.
There is also collaboration with relevant agencies of government, like the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), for 24-hour operations aimed at reducing cargo release time and curbing diversions to neighbouring ports. Performance metrics reflect success so far, as records show that service boat Gross Registered Tonnage (GRT) rose 129.3 per cent 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, the NPA projects N1.28 trillion in revenue for 2025, up from N894.86 billion in 2024, with the development in the Eastern ports expected to contribute significantly to the projected revenue rise.
The NPA has issued a new incentive regime to encourage patronage of non-Lagos ports, including discounts and streamlined processes for Eastern corridors.
And in achieving this, the Authority is aligning with the Federal Government’s ‘Nigeria First Policy’ which emphasises infrastructure modernisation, operational efficiency and indigenous participation in the maritime sector.
Discussions with stakeholders like the Seaport Terminal Operators Association of Nigeria (STOAN) have, thus, focused on boosting indigenous ownership and short-sea shipping.
Driving FG’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 sustainable blue economy ventures like ship building, ship repair and other dry dock activities that are attracting attention.
At a recent forum in Lagos, the Founder of Starz Marine and Engineering Limited in Rivers State, 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 tonnes to 10,000 tonnes lifting capacity and a 120 metre long circle lift, for the purpose of achieving quality ship repair and building, which Nigerians have had cause to travel for.
Infrastructure modernisation, capacity building
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 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 the NPA has, however, made breaking the cycle a priority. Reforms that include infrastructural and equipment upgrades, financial incentives, and stakeholder engagement have been put forward.