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The Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, has issued a stark warning that Nigeria risks undermining its status as Africa’s largest economy if its seaports fail to match global standards.
Speaking on Nigeria’s position in the global maritime landscape at a recent meeting organised by the Nigerian Chamber of Shipping (NCS), Dr. Dantsoho drew comparisons with leading economies across continents, where population size, economic power, and seaport dominance align.
“In North America, the United States has the largest economy, biggest population, and the busiest seaport – the Port of Los Angeles. In Europe, Germany leads with its population, economy, and the Port of Hamburg. In Asia, China stands tall with Shanghai as its dominant hub,” he said.
But in Africa, he lamented that, Nigeria – despite being the continent’s largest economy and most populous nation – has fallen behind.
“The busiest seaport in West Africa today is Abidjan in Ivory Coast. Nigeria is not even second. Officially, Nigeria handles just 2 million TEUs,” he decried.
Dr. Dantsoho further highlighted South Africa’s dominance, where Johannesburg serving a country of just 63 million people hosts the continent’s largest port. “Where did we miss it?” he asked pointedly.
According to him, this imbalance underscores the urgent need for government and industry stakeholders to “reconfigure and redefine” Nigeria’s port system.
Nonetheless, he stressed that the Tinubu administration is already alive to this reality and working to reposition Nigeria’s maritime sector to match its economic and demographic strength.
“God has given Nigeria the highest population and the biggest economy in Africa. There is no reason why our ports should not lead the continent,” he posited.
