NPA Port Modernisation, NSW To Reposition Nigeria As Competitive Player In Global Trade
By Asuquo Nuwak
NPA Port Modernisation, NSW To Reposition Nigeria As Competitive Player In Global Trade
The maritime sector in Nigeria through which over 80 per cent of the nation’s international trade flows, is currently undergoing uncommon transformation, which is being midwifed by the Managing-Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority, Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho.
Official report from NPA has shown that the port modernisation, digital trade facilitation and institutional reform, which is the new maritime policy direction is designed to reposition Nigeria’s seaports as competitive hubs within the global shipping ecosystem
It is reported that recently the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) released its 2025 report showing that the nation’s maritime sector recorded a historic surge in activity, driven by increased cargo throughput, rising container traffic, and a growing export footprint, a development that underscores the federal government’s commitment to economic diversification.
Besides, the 2025 Operational Performance Report released by the NPA revealed that total cargo throughput surged by 24.8 per cent, rising from approximately 103.6 million metric tons in 2024 to over 129.3 million metric tons in 2025.
Additionally, the Managing-Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, who described the growth as one of the most significant annual increases in Nigeria’s maritime history, also pointed out that the milestone strengthens the country’s position as a more competitive and strategic player in regional and global trade.
Still, the report said the outstanding performance is as a result of the transformative reforms of the federal government.
Accordingly, for decades, the nation’s ports has had some challenges, but
however, President Bola Tinubu,s administration has managed to keep it floating, and is reversing the trend through an ambitious reform programme driven by the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy under the leadership of Adegboyega Oyetola and implemented largely by the Nigerian Ports Authority under the leadership of its Managing-Director and Chief Executive Officer, Dr Abubakar Dantsoho.
Significantly too, at the centre of the reform strategy are two interconnected initiatives, ranging from the comprehensive modernisation of Nigeria’s port infrastructure and the deployment of the National Single Window (NSW), a digital platform designed to streamline trade documentation and eliminate bureaucratic delays.
Furthermore, ahead of the flag off of NSW, the NPA has put structures in place and is fully ready.
Importantly, the NPA being a critical stakeholder in the NSW initiative has fully aligned
its operational processes with the NSW platform.
In line with the latest development, NPA has been part of the NSW Committee, which has been working with the NSW Project Team, KPMG, and Crimson-Logic.
Indeed, these engagements have focused on ensuring seamless integration of the Authority’s Revenue Invoice Management System (RIMS 2.0) with the NSW architecture.
Beyond all these, several strategic, operational and technical decisions have been taken to align current processes with the national framework.
In line with phase 1 of the NSW go-live, NPA has participated in a series of technical and strategic engagements with the NSW project team and implementation partners, complete initial User Acceptance Testing (UAT), inauguration of transition committee of the NSW, development and delivery of all requested system.
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