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Why Nigerian ports lost cargo hub status to neighboring countries—-Stakeholders

Eyewitness reporter
Nigerian ports may have effectively lost the bid to become transshipment centres in the West and Central African sub-region due to its aging and dilapidated infrastructure.
For several years, Nigeria’s government has laboured to position its ports as load centres in the sub-region for economic advantages.
But an investigation by our correspondent has revealed that long years of government neglect,  lack of adequate investments in infrastructure, corruption, the multiplicity of government agencies and high cost and cumbersome nature of goods clearance of cargo at the Nigerian ports have all combined to rub Nigerian ports the preferred destination for cargoes within the sub-region.
Therefore, this development has made stakeholders in the industry berate the Government for its failure to develop the port infrastructure which they lamented have greatly decayed and dilapidated.
They disclosed that even after the ports were concessioned to private business interests, the concessionaires have done little to change the narrative as few of them are actually investing in the infrastructural development of the ports.
The stakeholders claimed that 90 percent of the infrastructure in the ports is more than 40 years old, which could no longer handle the volume of the operations at the ports.

Mr. Adeyinka Sholeye, a Marine Engineer,  said that Nigeria has lost its transshipment hub status to West African countries like Togo, Ghana and Benin Republic due to dilapidated port infrastructure in Nigeria.

“These countries claimed trans shipment hub status from Nigeria because they have developed their ports into modern ones with infrastructure such as good access roads, a deeper draught that can accommodate larger vessels.

“Don’t be surprised that these ports have been automated. They have automated their processes.

“While these countries can take a vessel with 16 meters draught, none of the Nigerian seaports can accommodate such vessel due to the nation’s shallow draught that is not more than 13 meters.

“That is to tell you the level of seriousness and investments these people have committed to their ports.”

The Vice President, Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Kayode Farinto, speaking in a similar vein,  lamented that the nation’s second-largest revenue earner, after oil, was left to wallop in such a sorry state with dilapidated infrastructure.

According to him, there are too many factors that are drawing the sector backward, ranging from bad access roads to the ports, to high shipping costs, shallow water draft at seaports.

“There are too many issues responsible for the setback. The government does not have either the political will or is not serious about implementing those good policies. You should expect that before the end of this year, we are going to have more than 40 percent drop in cargo coming to Nigerian ports”.

“The neighbouring countries, such as Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana and Togo are rapidly developing their seaports while  Nigeria is currently losing grip of the shipping economy due to abandonment of the sector, which is the second revenue earner for the government after oil,” he noted.

The National President, National Council of Managing Director of Licensed Customs Agents (NCMDLCA), Lucky Amiwero, said the neighbouring ports have already positioned their ports as millennium ports, preferred, transshipment or load center, adding that most West African ports built their ports to accommodate Nigerian- bound cargo, knowing about the country’s poor infrastructure.

He identified the neighbouring ports, which have either completed their deep-sea projects or near completion at Cotonou, Benin Republic, Lome, Togo, Accra, Ghana and Cameroun.

He called on the Federal Government to wake up by designing the concept of a deep-sea/ transshipment center to accommodate large E-Class vessels/mega-ships of 8000- 20000 TEUs, that are currently demanded regionally and globally, which is the only solution to the diversion of goods to neighbouring ports.

He advised that with international best practices, Nigeria must design the National Guarantee system to cover the payment of import duty taxes at the time of transit; Custom Seal that ensures the physical integrity of the goods while in transit, making sure that the goods start and exit the transit in its original state; Implement electronic tracking system enabling Customs to track and locate transit vehicles and guide intervention force including Customs staff; a document system to enable transit document issued at the start of Transit journey to be accepted by transport and Custom authority along with transit.

Amiwero identified an inefficient port system as to why the country lost the transshipment hub status to other West African countries.

 He said except there is a change in infrastructure rehabilitation, Nigeria will continue to lose cargoes to neighbouring countries, which have deep seaports and better facilities.
The freight forwarder lamented that Nigerian ports cannot accommodate mega-ships with 8000-20000 TEUs, arguing that this was against the trend in neighbouring ports.

He said the Federal government needs to address the unwholesome practices of manipulated delays by providers of shipping services and other government agencies, leading to high demurrage, rent, and high transactional costs.

Amiwero stated that such practices are inimical to the efficiency of the port system, adding that such issues against Nigerian ports need to be addressed for the sake of the national economy.

“There is need to reclaim our cargo from neighboring West African countries that are now a hub for Nigeria cargos, by working out a mechanism for a better developed regional hub to consolidate on our destination of Nigerian cargo that has been siphoned by regional ports,” he advised.

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Headlines

Edward Osagie, NIMASA spokesman, shines at 2025 National Spokespersons’ Awards in Abuja

— emerges outstanding spokesperson in Marine and Blue Economy sector 

Funso OLOJO 
Edward Omoruyi Osagie,  the deep and baritone voiced spokesman for the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), has been crowned as the most outstanding spokesperson in the Marine and Blue economy sector.
Osagie, with a benign mien, emerged the best in this category during the Award ceremony of the 2025 edition of the  “National Spokespersons’ Awards(NSAwards) held on Wednesday, April 16th, 2025 at Abuja Continental Hotel.
62 finalists were shortlisted for recognition across 21 competitive categories in this year’s edition of the competition.
Three spokespersons in the maritime industry participated in the final of the Award ceremony.
They included Edward Osagie, the Head of Pubic Relations Department of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Ikechukwu Onyemekara, General Manager, Corporate and Strategic Communication Department of the Nigerian Ports Authority(NPA) and Muyiwa Akande, Head of Public Relations unit of Sifax Group.
Osagie of NIMASA emerged a finalist in three categories which include Spokesperson of the year which happens to be the lead category, Outstanding spokesperson (crisis management – pubic sector) and Marine and Blue economy sector.
Olumuyiwa Akande also featured as a finalist in two categories such as Spokesperson of the year category and Marine and Blue Economy sector.
Onyemekara of NPA features as a finalist in the Marine and Blue economy sector.
However, at the final section, Osagie beat all the contestants in the Marine and Blue economy category to emerge a winner.
In other categories, the Head, Media and Publicity Unit of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC), Mr. Dele Oyewale, a Deputy Commander of the EFCC, emerged  Outstanding Federal Government Spokesperson of the Year, 2025.

Oyewale emerged winner in a highly competitive category that included Presidential Spokesman, Mr. Bayo Onanuga and Josephine Adokuru Mudasiru of the Federal Capital Development Authority, FCDA.

The Chairman of the award’s Adjudication Committee, Dr. Shaibu Husseini, while commending the nominees, emphasized that the selection process was rigorous and driven by merit.

Oyewale stood out for his infusion of finesse in strategic communication, skillful workmanship, impactful media engagements and consistency in the excellent projection of the EFCC’s image and in enhancing public understanding of the Commission’s mandate and activities.

Other winners from other categories include: Olufemi Soneye (NNPCL) as  Distinguished Spokesperson of the Year (Oil and Gas), Nigerian Customs Service as Best Corporate Spokesperson Team, Kashifu Inuwa (NITDA) as Most Supportive CEO to Spokespersons (Public Sector), Femi Babafemi (NDLEA) as  Outstanding Spokesperson (Security Services).

Soneye (NNPCL) beat ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi of Nigeria Police, Igo Weli-Shell Petroleum, Olumuyiwa Akande, SIFAX Group and Osagie Edward-NIMASA to emerge Spokesperson of the Year.

In his remarks, Joshua Audu Gana, Member House of Representatives congratulated the organizers for identifying and rewarding the outstanding communicators across various sectors.

He lauded the winners for their professionalism and devotion and urged them to continue to strive for excellence in the roles they play.

The Special Guest of Honour, Chairman, House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Hon. Akintunde Rotimi Jr, emphasized the need for institutions and organizations to involve spokespersons in policy formulation and decision-making processes, noting that spokespersons should be equipped with first-hand knowledge of key issues so as to enhance their effective and accurate public communication.

The National Spokespersons Awards is Nigeria’s foremost platform for celebration of excellence in public relations, strategic communication, and media management.

The award is an annual celebration of individuals and organizations that demonstrate professionalism, innovation, and impactful public communication.

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Customs

Agricultural produce tops exports of 11,459 containers worth $986.4m through Apapa port in three months 

Funso OLOJO / Gloria Odion 
The export initiative programme of the present government led by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is gradually gathering momentum as 11, 459 containers of export goods passed through Apapa ports in the first quarter of 2025.
This export goods were 5,568 containers higher than the 5,891 containers handled in the corresponding period of 2024.
The export goods, facilitated by the Lilypond export command of the Nigeria Customs service, was worth a whooping sum of $986.4m.
This amount was 300 per cent higher than $236.087m total value of exports which passed through the command in the corresponding period of 2024.
These figures showed an increase of $750.357m representing over 318 percent improvement in value over the corresponding period of 2024.
Addressing the press in his office while giving account of the export activities in the first quarter of 2025, Area Controller of the Lilypond export terminal, Comptroller Ajibola Odusanya, revealed that agricultural products of 2723 containers valued at $596.887m topped the pack.
This was followed by manufactured goods of $134.649m, solid minerals of $87.498 m and other category of exports valued at $18.156m.
“On the volume of trade, the command handled a total of 11,459 containers in the first three months of 2025 which is 5,568 containers higher than the 5,891 containers handled in the first quarter of 2024
“We classified the exports into four Agricultural products, manufactured products, solid minerals and others.
“Agricultural produce forms the highest with a total value of $596.887.111.51. This was followed by manufactured goods, which amounted to $329,915,256.,6, while solid minerals were 550,149,763.41. Others amounted to $9,488,166.26.
Agricultural produce for the first quarter of last year was $542,916.347.5,7 manufactured goods $134,649,364,25, solid minerals $87,498,802,44 and others $18,156,786.87.
“In the first quarter of 2025, our cumulative export value amounted to $986,440,397,78. This is more than 300 per cent higher than the $2.36,087,888.53 total value of exports through this command in the first quarter of 2024.
“Comparatively, this shows an increase of $750,352,509.25 representing over 318 per cent improvement in the value.”
Compt. Odusanya stated that the command recorded N7.13 billion under the Nigeria Export Supervision Scheme (NESS).
He also disclosed that the command strengthened collaboration with exporters by operating an open-door policy that ensures regular interaction and seamless export trade processing.
“Under NESS, which is a statutory payment to the Federal Government on all legitimate goods exported from Nigeria, the command recorded N7,131,463,779.25.
“The Q1 2025 NESS is almost 0.9 per cent higher than the N7,067,351,977.1 recorded under the scheme through our command performance in the first three months of 2024.
“The NCS as a service and the command in particular cannot work in isolation.
” We have always maintained robust engagements with our critical stakeholders and worked strategically with sister government agencies like the NDLEA, SON, NAQS, Police, NAFDAC and others.”
“In addition to collaborating with sister government agencies, I have strengthened our relationship with exporters through operating an open-door policy that ensures regular interaction and seamless export trade processing.”
“I am pleased to announce that user experiences of the LEXC under my watch have continually improved with the prospects of attracting more exporters to the Command and thereby contribute in no small way, the federal government drive for economic diversification through Export.
“Some Nigerian Exporters were among those celebrated by the service three months ago during the formal launch of the authorized economic operator (AED) scheme. For us, this is a testament to the growth of export in the country, especially those using Lagos ports to ship out their goods,” Compt. Odusanya declared.
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Headlines

Stakeholders caution Nigeria over currency swap deal with China 

as CBN lists gains of trade policy 
Gloria Odion 
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has described the Nigeria-China currency swap deal as a transformative policy instrument that could significantly reduce shipping costs, enhance trade efficiency, and ease foreign exchange pressure in Nigeria’s maritime industry.
Speaking at a stakeholders’ breakfast meeting organized by the Maritime Reporters’ Association of Nigeria (MARAN) in Lagos on Tuesday, the CBN Governor, Mr. Olayemi Cardoso, stated that the agreement—originally signed in 2018 and recently renewed in December 2024—enables Nigerian and Chinese businesses to conduct trade directly in naira and renminbi, bypassing the U.S. dollar.
“The swap agreement simplifies the settlement of trade transactions in local currencies and reduces the pressure on Nigeria’s dollar reserves.
” This, in turn, lowers the cost of doing business and enhances the competitiveness of Nigerian trade,” Cardoso said.
The CBN Governor, who was represented by Mr Anthony Ogufere, Special Adviser to CBN Governor on Finance and Strategy, noted that China had become Nigeria’s largest trading partner by the end of 2024, accounting for about 35% of total imports and reaching a trade volume of $11.58 billion.
 He added that the maritime sector, which handles the majority of Nigeria’s import and export activities, stands to benefit immensely through faster port clearance, improved trade finance instruments, and direct shipping links such as the Lekki Deep Sea Port—a Chinese-backed infrastructure project under the Belt and Road Initiative.
However, the CBN Governor acknowledged that several challenges still hinder the full potential of the currency swap framework.
Chief among them is Nigeria’s significant trade imbalance with China and the limited adoption of yuan-denominated transactions by Nigerian businesses.
He called for greater sensitization, policy coordination, and efforts to expand non-oil exports to China.
The CBN governor also acknowledged the fact that the currency swap deal is not yet popular among Nigerian business owners due to sparse sensitization and mobilisation of the business community.
Also speaking at the event, Mr. Martins Olajide, a representative of the Nigeria-China Strategic Partnership, presented a paper that offered a more cautious outlook.
He noted that while the swap deal provides short-term relief and smoother trade operations, it is not a sustainable solution to the naira’s persistent depreciation.
Describing the swap arrangement as “swapization,” Olajide warned that Nigeria’s economic vulnerability and dependence on imports—especially from China—undermines the true impact of the agreement.
 He emphasized the need for structural reforms, particularly in industrialization, value addition, and local production.
“Without these changes, the swap deal may only reinforce economic dependence on China without solving the underlying issues,” he said.
In his opening remarks, the Chairman of the event and Chairman of the Customs Consultative Council (CCC), Aare Akeem Olarenwaju, decried the volatility of the naira-dollar exchange rate as a major cause of the skyrocketing cost of goods in Nigeria.
 He called for greater public awareness of alternative currency options like the Chinese yuan.
“You can’t determine the price of goods within a few hours due to constant exchange rate changes.
“Today it’s ₦1,600 to a dollar, and in the next few hours, it could be ₦1,700 or ₦1,500. It’s the common people who suffer the most,” Olarenwaju lamented.
He commended the organizers for opening up conversations around trade, currency, and maritime development, urging media professionals to help educate the public on alternatives that could reduce the nation’s dependence on the U.S. dollar.
Earlier in his welcome address, MARAN President, Mr. Godfrey Bivbere, reaffirmed the association’s commitment to promoting dialogue on key economic issues.
While acknowledging the swap deal’s promise in reducing transaction costs and enhancing trade efficiency, Bivbere stressed the need for a balanced discourse.
“We are not only here to applaud progress but also to interrogate policy.
” We must understand both the positive impact and the underlying risks associated with China’s expanding economic footprint in Nigeria,” he said.
Bivbere urged stakeholders across the maritime, trade, and financial sectors to approach the Nigeria-China currency swap with critical insight, noting that sustainable benefits would only come through policies that protect national economic interests while encouraging growth and competitiveness.
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