NPA Reports Strong Q1 2026 Cargo Growth Across Nigeria Ports

By Enam Obiosio

• Q1 Growth Strengthens Nigeria’s Emerging Maritime Trade Dominance

Nigeria’s maritime sector delivered one of its strongest operational performances in recent years in the first quarter of 2026, reinforcing the growing role of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) in repositioning the country as a regional maritime and logistics powerhouse under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) framework.

According to the Q1 2026 Operational Performance Review released by the NPA, Gross Registered Tonnage for ocean-going vessels rose by 19.5 percent to 46.75 million, reflecting increasing deployment of larger-capacity vessels across Nigerian ports. Cargo throughput excluding crude oil terminals also climbed 11.6 percent year-on-year to 32.38 million metric tonnes.

The figures provide strong evidence that ongoing reforms within the maritime sector are beginning to translate into measurable operational improvements. More significantly, they indicate increasing confidence among international shipping lines in Nigeria’s port infrastructure and cargo handling capacity.

The Managing Director of the NPA, Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, has repeatedly argued that Nigeria’s ports must evolve beyond their historical operational limitations if the country intends to dominate cargo flows within an increasingly integrated African market. Speaking at an industry forum in Lagos, Dantsoho said that efficiency, speed, innovation and reliability would determine future leadership within continental trade corridors.

The latest operational numbers suggest that the NPA’s strategy is beginning to align with that ambition.

The rise in vessel tonnage is especially important because larger vessels are central to modern maritime competitiveness. They improve cargo efficiency, reduce shipping costs and strengthen the attractiveness of ports to global shipping operators. The operational impact of Lekki Deep Sea Port is also becoming increasingly visible in this transition, particularly in accommodating larger vessels and supporting higher cargo concentration.

Export-linked indicators within the report further strengthen the positive outlook surrounding Nigeria’s maritime reforms.

Outward cargo traffic surged by 23.7 percent to 14.13 million metric tonnes, while outward laden container traffic jumped by 67.6 percent from 61,332 TEUs in Q1 2025 to 102,803 TEUs in Q1 2026.

These figures point to improving export logistics efficiency and suggest that Nigerian ports are increasingly supporting non-oil trade expansion and regional supply chain integration.

Perhaps the most strategically significant figure within the report was the 83.1 percent increase in transshipment container activity. This indicates that Nigerian ports are gradually emerging as redistribution centres for regional cargo movements across West Africa rather than functioning primarily as import destinations.

That transition carries important economic implications because transshipment traffic deepens port utilisation, strengthens logistics ecosystems and improves regional trade influence.

The growth trajectory also reflects the wider reform programme being implemented under the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and coordinated through the Honourable Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Dr. Adegboyega Oyetola.

A major component of the reforms includes the rehabilitation of Lagos Port Complex and Tin Can Island Port under the approved $1 billion infrastructure overhaul programme, alongside planned upgrades across Warri, Port Harcourt, Onne and Calabar ports.

The government’s aggressive digitalisation push through the Port Community System and National Single Window is also gradually improving cargo clearance transparency, reducing delays and supporting operational efficiency across port corridors.

Equally important is the improved security profile within Nigerian waters. Nigeria has now recorded over four years without piracy incidents, a development widely linked to the Deep Blue Programme and enhanced maritime surveillance systems.

For investors and shipping operators, that stability significantly improves confidence in Nigeria’s maritime corridor.

Despite the strong performance, Dantsoho recently noted that Nigeria still accounts for only about 25 percent of cargo traffic within West Africa despite contributing more than 60 percent of the region’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

That gap highlights both the scale of lost opportunity and the strategic importance of the NPA’s ongoing reforms.

If sustained, the current momentum could strengthen Nigeria’s position as a leading maritime logistics hub in Africa, deepen regional trade integration and expand the maritime sector’s contribution to national economic diversification.