Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, the Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority, has indicated that the Apapa access road, intended for around 2,400 trucks each day, handled over 7,000 trucks.
Dantsoho recently made the statement during his speech at the African Ports Conference in Casablanca, Morocco.
He mentioned that the resulting congestion compromised reliability, heightened delays, and shifted trade, emphasizing the necessity for coordinated reforms in port infrastructure, transport corridors, and digital systems.
“Mentioning that cargo once stayed at Lagos ports for up to three weeks, while the Apapa access road, intended for about 2,400 trucks a day, handled over 7,000 trucks,” Dantsoho stated.
Dantsoho emphasized that the NPA started by tackling basic operational issues before progressing to more sophisticated technologies.
“The Eto electronic truck calling system assisted in alleviating corridor congestion. This year, we launched the National Single Window and a beta version of the Port Community System, enhancing digital collaboration among Customs, terminals, shipping lines, and regulators,” he stated.
He indicated that the reforms were yielding positive outcomes, highlighting Nigeria’s standing in the World Bank’s Container Port Performance Index 2025.
The NPA head emphasized that Tin Can Island Port was ranked 10th and Apapa Port 12th in the world’s most improved ports according to the index published in June 2026.
He mentioned that Nigeria’s cargo throughput rose by 24.8 percent to 129.3 million metric tonnes in 2025.
Dantsoho acknowledged that Nigeria’s port transformation is still in progress and emphasized the importance of establishing strong digital infrastructure prior to broadening the use of AI in port operations.
“Our task is not finished. The message is evident: digitalization establishes the information foundation; AI assists in transforming information into improved decisions. We need to construct in that sequence,” he stated.
He emphasized that cybersecurity aspects ought to be incorporated into infrastructure projects from the initial design phase instead of being added after systems are already in place.
The NPA chief stated that African ports could not adequately tackle cybersecurity risks and operational inefficiencies through separate national initiatives, as maritime trade routes, shipping timetables, and cargo corridors were interlinked.
He clarified that disturbances impacting a single port might lead to repercussions for other ports and locations inland, especially along significant regional trade routes.
