Dantsoho: Boosting Activities at Eastern Ports, Driving FG’s Economic Diversification
By Engr. Usman Shehu Alkali
Apart from reviving the eastern ports, the Nigerian Ports Authority is 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
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.
Proximity 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 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, Achievements Touching on Exports
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 indicates, the NPA projects ₦1.28 trillion in revenue for 2025, up from ₦894.86 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