By Oluyinka Onigbinde
The Federal Government may delay the renewal of port concession agreements until after the 2027 general election. This is coming amidst indications that the government is weighing political alignments of some existing concessionaires before deciding who retains control of critical port assets. Findings by Shipping Position Daily have revealed.
An inside source who is familiar with the ongoing process told our correspondent last week that the Federal Government was being cautious about granting long-term renewals to some existing concessionaires. He confided in our correspondent that, the outcome of the 2027 elections will influence the eventual direction of the exercise.
According to the source, the government is also considering bringing in new concessionaires as part of the renewal process, a development that could see some existing operators lose their concessions, when the Federal Government eventually concludes the review.
The source who pleaded anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the matter, disclosed that the government was interested in understanding where some concessionaires stand in the emerging political alignments ahead of the 2027 presidential and general elections.
However, this information could not be independently verified, and there is no official indication from the Federal Government or the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) that political affiliation may be used as a criterion for the renewal of port concessions.
The development is coming amid growing uncertainty over several port concession agreements which expired years ago, but whose operators have continued to run their terminals under interim arrangements.
The Nigerian Ports Authority has, however, maintained that the delay is largely connected to the need to review the legal and structural framework governing the concessions and correct outstanding issues, before new agreements are executed.
The NPA Managing Director, Dr Abubakar Dantsoho, who spoke recently through the General Manager, Corporate Affairs, Mr Ikechukwu Onyemakara, said the agency was more concerned about getting the concession framework right, than rushing into renewals.
According to the NPA, a flawed concession agreement could create greater problems for government and investors than a delayed agreement, stressing that structural issues in existing agreements needed to be addressed before approvals for renewal could be granted.
He said both the NPA and terminal operators had identified outstanding obligations that needed to be resolved as part of the review process.
The NPA further argued that investors would prefer clarity and legal certainty than speed in the renewal process, adding that a properly structured agreement could attract new investors if existing concessionaires eventually decide not to continue.
The position provides the official explanation for the prolonged delay, but the new insight that the Federal Government may be taking the 2027 political calendar into consideration introduces another dimension to the concession controversy.
Several of the affected terminal concessions date back to the 2006 port reform programme, when the Federal Government transferred the management of major port terminals to private operators under long-term agreements.
Official records from the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) show that Apapa Terminal C and D, operated by ENL Consortium, was originally concessioned in April 2006 for 10 years, with an additional five-year extension.
At Tin Can Island, the concession for Tin Can Island Container Terminal (TICT) commenced in June 2006 for 15 years, while other terminals were granted varying concession periods and extensions.
Previous reviews of the concession portfolio have identified a number of expired agreements, including ENL Consortium’s Apapa Terminal C and D, Greenview Development Nigeria Limited’s Apapa Terminal E, Tin Can Island Container Terminal, Five Star Logistics, Ports and Terminal Multiservices Limited, Josepdam Port Services Limited and Associated Maritime Services at Warri.
Brawal Oil Services Limited’s Onne FLT ‘A’ concession has also featured among the agreements whose status has been subject to review.
The Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission had previously documented 26 terminals operated by 20 concessionaires across Lagos, Tin Can Island, Port Harcourt, Onne, Warri and Calabar.
However, not all operators currently being discussed in connection with concession renewals have expired agreements. For instance, APM Terminals’ Apapa concession remains within its original contractual period, while the company is already discussing an extension with the Federal Government ahead of its eventual expiry. APM Terminals disclosed in September 2026 that discussions were underway concerning extensions for its Apapa and West Africa Container Terminal concessions at Onne.
One of the most recent cases to attract attention is that of Truck Transit Park Limited (TTP), operator of the Electronic Truck Call-Up System, popularly known as ETO, for the Lagos ports corridor.
The agreement between the NPA and TTP expired at the end of February 2026, after which the NPA said it was reviewing the arrangement while putting measures in place to ensure continuity of port operations.
In a chat with Shipping Position Daily, the spokesperson for TTP, Nancy Nnamdi, said the company was continuing operations under provisions of the original agreement pending the conclusion of discussions with the NPA.
She explained that the original contract provided room for operations to continue, even without a formal renewal being signed.
Asked specifically about reports that the renewal could be delayed until after the 2027 election for political reasons, Nnamdi said she had no information confirming such a plan.
She, however, acknowledged that political considerations could influence developments in Nigeria, saying she could not speak specifically to the insinuation.
“I don’t have that information, but of course in Nigeria anything can happen. You know, political elements will always have influence in things like this. I don’t have information on that specific,” she said.
The NPA had earlier said the expired TTP agreement contained provisions that could be used to ensure business continuity while the review was ongoing, making clear that the expiration did not automatically mean an immediate shutdown of the electronic truck call-up system.
Checks by our correspondent revealed that beyond the question of when the agreements will be renewed, another issue emerging from the process is whether all existing concessionaires will automatically retain their terminals.
The NPA has indicated that its review is intended to address structural weaknesses and outstanding obligations in existing agreements, while creating a framework capable of attracting fresh investment.
This could open the door for new investors to compete for terminals where existing operators fail to meet the conditions required for renewal.
The BPE says the reform covered more than 24 terminals across Lagos, Port Harcourt, Calabar and Warri and was intended to encourage private-sector investment in infrastructure, cargo-handling equipment, information technology and logistics.
About two decades after the original concessions were handed over, the Federal Government is now confronted with the question of whether to simply extend existing arrangements or use the renewal process to restructure the port concession landscape.
