For the ninth consecutive year, Apapa and Tin Can ports have failed to make it into the world’s top 100 busiest seaports, underscoring Nigeria’s lag in maritime competitiveness despite its growing trade potential.
According to the 2025 Lloyd’s List of Top 100 Ports, which ranks ports by annual container throughput, Nigerian ports were once again absent.
The last time a Nigerian port appeared on the prestigious global list was in 2016, when Apapa Port in Lagos ranked 93rd.
Since then, the country has slipped further behind as neighboring nations modernize and capture growing cargo traffic across West Africa.
Global Rankings Highlight Nigeria’s Missed Opportunities
The latest report from Lloyd’s List Intelligence shows that global container throughput rose by more than 8% in 2024, reaching 743.6 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs).
Despite this growth, Apapa and Tin Can ports were unable to capitalize on the surge, while other African countries strengthened their positions.
This year, five African ports — Tanger Med in Morocco (ranked 17th), Port Said and Alexandria in Egypt (53rd and 90th), Durban in South Africa (79th), and Lome in Togo (92nd) — featured among the top 100.
The ranking reinforces the growing gap between Nigeria and its regional peers, who have invested heavily in port automation, dredging, and transshipment capacity.
Maritime expert and former Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Temisan Omotseye, attributed Nigeria’s poor performance to shallow drafts, inadequate infrastructure, and lack of modernization at Apapa and Tin Can ports.
“The large vessels that dominate global trade today cannot access our ports,” Omotseye explained. “You can’t expect high container volumes when your port depth limits bigger ships.
Most of these vessels now go to Lome, Tema, and Cotonou, while smaller feeder vessels bring goods here — reducing Nigeria’s throughput significantly.”
Why Apapa and Tin Can Ports Are Falling Behind
Experts argue that both Apapa and Tin Can ports were designed for mid-20th century trade patterns and have not evolved with global shipping standards.
Slow cargo handling, outdated infrastructure, and bureaucratic bottlenecks continue to discourage shipping lines from docking in Lagos.
“Shipping lines prefer ports that guarantee quick turnaround,” Omotseye said.
“In countries like Morocco or Egypt, vessels complete loading and unloading within 48 hours.
In Nigeria, the same process can take six to seven days. Every hour wasted at berth costs shipowners money.”
This inefficiency has driven Nigerian importers and manufacturers to route cargo through other West African countries.
Businesses Choosing Foreign Ports Over Lagos
Former president of the Lagos Shippers Association, Jonathan Nicol, provided a striking example.
“I once managed a textile factory in Ilupeju. Instead of offloading in Lagos, we shipped our containers to Cotonou in Benin Republic.
Clearing goods there was faster and cheaper — we saved over 50% compared to Nigerian ports,” he revealed.
Data supports Nicol’s experience. The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) recorded total container throughput of 1.7 million TEUs in 2024, while Lome Port, the lowest-ranked African port on the Lloyd’s List, handled 2 million TEUs in the same year.
This shows how smaller nations have overtaken Nigeria through operational efficiency and investor-friendly port reforms.
Slow Progress Despite New Investments
The federal government has initiated several reforms to modernize port operations.
The Lekki Deep Sea Port, Nigeria’s first deep-water port, has added significant capacity but remains largely isolated within the Lagos Free Zone, servicing mainly factory-to-dock operations.
Omotseye believes the Lekki Port must urgently expand into transshipment to compete regionally.
“If Lekki Port can attract mother vessels of up to 20,000 TEUs, it could transform Nigeria into a regional logistics hub,” he said.
Another anticipated game changer is the National Single Window Project, scheduled for launch in March 2026.
The system aims to digitize trade processes, reducing cargo clearance time from 21 days to just one business day.
The federal government also approved a $1 billion upgrade for Lagos port infrastructure earlier this year.
However, industry observers caution that physical upgrades alone will not resolve Nigeria’s competitiveness issues.
“The cost of doing business in Nigeria is still too high,” Nicol said.
“Importers now pay duties using black market exchange rates. Even with an irrevocable letter of credit, you still need to find additional funds to meet customs charges.
These policies discourage investment and make our ports unattractive.”
Analysts agree that Nigeria’s maritime revival depends on aligning policy reforms with global standards, lowering operational costs, and enforcing transparency in port management.
While the exclusion of Apapa and Tin Can ports from the global top 100 for nine consecutive years signals deep-rooted inefficiencies, it also offers a wake-up call.
With the right investments, digital transformation, and sustained regulatory reforms, Nigeria can reclaim its position as a dominant maritime hub in West Africa.
The success of the Lekki Deep Sea Port, coupled with the rollout of the National Single Window, could serve as catalysts for change — if complemented by consistent policy execution and private sector participation.
As Omotseye aptly summarized, “The world will not wait for Nigeria to fix its ports. We must act fast or risk losing our maritime relevance entirely.”
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