Nigeria Ports Record 24.8% Cargo Growth in 2025 – NPA

Nigeria’s maritime sector recorded a 24.8% surge in cargo throughput in 2025, rising from 103.6 million metric tonnes in 2024 to 129.3 million metric tonnes, according to the Nigerian Ports Authority’s (NPA) latest operational report.

NPA Managing Director Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho described the growth as one of the most significant in Nigeria’s maritime history, strengthening the country’s role in regional and global trade.

While imports still dominated overall traffic, exports grew steadily, accounting for 39% of total cargo, compared to 59.2% for inward traffic and 1.8% for transshipment.

Analysts said the rise in exports reflects government efforts to diversify the economy beyond crude oil.

Container traffic also expanded sharply, up 25.7% to 2.1 million TEUs. Import-laden containers surged 32.8%, export containers grew 3.1%, and transshipment containers jumped 205.8%, underscoring Nigeria’s emergence as a regional logistics hub.

Lekki Port led the nation’s cargo handling, accounting for 40.6% of throughput, followed by Onne Port (19.1%) and Apapa Port (16.7%). Lekki also attracted the largest vessels, averaging 55,712 GRT, ahead of Onne at 53,022 GRT.

Although Tin Can Island Port recorded the highest number of ship calls (22.7%), Lekki and Onne increasingly received larger vessels, boosting Nigeria’s capacity to handle high-value cargo. Overall, ship arrivals rose nearly 12% to 4,477 vessels.

Liquid bulk cargo, including fuel and chemicals, remained dominant at 54.7%, while containerised cargo accounted for 24%.

Analysts noted that the rising sophistication of vessel traffic signals Nigeria’s alignment with global shipping standards.

Dantsoho said future growth will be driven by the port modernisation programme and the National Single Window system, which aim to overhaul infrastructure, expand cargo-handling capacity, and deploy digital solutions to improve efficiency.