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Nigeria’s digitised seaports risk being strangled by traffic on port access roads unless government backs rail links to the ports and makes barge operations cost-effective, maritime stakeholders have warned.
A former Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Barr. Temisan Omatseye, sounded the alarm at the fifth Primetime Reporters Annual Lecture and Awards in Apapa, Lagos, on Thursday, where he was Chairman.
Omatseye expressed disappointment that, despite stakeholder appeals for a multimodal logistics architecture to evacuate cargo from the Lekki Deep Seaport, the absence of a railway link is already causing congestion around the port.
He also urged the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy to prioritise marine environmental safety in its sustainability agenda.
Delivering the keynote lecture, the Managing Director of Kamany Marine Services Limited, Dr. Charles Okorefe, said cargo clearance in Nigeria costs more than in neighbouring countries, which he linked to persistent smuggling through land borders.
He urged speedy resolution of expired port concession agreements to encourage future-focused investment, stronger inter-agency collaboration, and swift disbursement of the Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund (CVFF) to support indigenous shipowners.
The Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, represented by Apapa Port Manager, Mr. Debo Lawal, said barging is now more expensive than trucking, deterring shippers.
He also criticised truck drivers who persistently block port access roads, leaving Apapa and other approaches almost impassable.
Responding to concerns about overlapping agency functions, the Registrar of the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN), Mr. Kingsley Igwe, said Minister of Marine and Blue Economy Dr. Adegboyega Oyetola has convened robust deliberations between legal teams and chief executives of agencies to streamline their roles.
He added that the Ministry, through the Council, is working to set credible freight benchmarks and standards.
The Director of the National Single Window (NSW), Mr. Tola Fakolade, represented by Deputy Director Mr. Jude Oboh, said the first phase, launched on March 27, 2026, had processed N12.59 billion in regulatory payments and 124,614 licences and permits as of September.
“Some 11,096 importers and agents have registered. Phase two, due in November 2026, will cover export processing, non-oil export licences and free trade zone permits,” he said.
The Director General of NPERA, Dr. Pius Akutah, said growth in cargo volumes must not be mistaken for efficiency. Represented by Adaora Nwonu, Acting Director, Regulatory Services, he noted that throughput rose 45.1 percent, from 71.21 million to 103.34 million metric tonnes in 2024, while average vessel turnaround barely moved, from 4.7 days to 4.6 days.
“More cargo is not, by itself, proof that cargo moves quickly, that costs are predictable or that exporters can meet delivery schedules,” the NPERA boss said.
Dr. Akutah said NPERA will push for transparent, justifiable tariffs and discourage arbitrary or unapproved charges, so that efficiency gains translate into lower supply chain costs for businesses and consumers.
He called for published baselines and time-bound targets across cargo dwell time, vessel turnaround, clearance times and total port cost to users.
The Lagos State Special Adviser on Blue Economy, Mr. Oluwadamilola Emmanuel, said digitalisation alone will not deliver greener logistics, stressing that trade data, cargo movement and cleaner transport must work together.
He argued that barges and inland waterways can ease pressure on selected road corridors, with the Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA) supplying vessel permits, jetty readiness, safety monitoring and movement data.
He also highlighted Omi Eko, a planned mass inland-waterway transport system for Lagos.
The event also featured the Primetime Reporters Maritime and Blue Economy Awards. Dantsoho won Maritime Man of the Year, while WISTA Nigeria President Dr. Odunayo Ani was named Maritime Woman of the Year.
DCG Dera Nnadi mni received the Lifetime Achievement Award in Customs Administration and Trade Facilitation; NPERA Director General Dr. Pius Akutah was honoured as Public Sector CEO of the Year; and Ocean Ambassadors Foundation founder, Hon. Olaitan Williams was named Blue Economy Ambassador of the Year.
