By Ibrahim Nasiru
For decades, the narrative surrounding Nigerian maritime gateways was dominated by stories of bureaucratic gridlock, crippling congestion, and costly logistics delays. However, a major structural shift is underway.
The World Bank and S&P Global Market Intelligence recently released the 2025 Container Port Performance Index (CPPI), delivering an international endorsement of Nigeria’s maritime modernization.
For the first time in history, Nigeria’s primary seaports—Tin Can Island Port Complex and Apapa Port Complex—have been ranked among the Top 20 Most Improved Ports globally.
According to the index, Tin Can Island Port ranked 10th globally in performance gains, improving its CPPI score by an impressive 42 points. Closely following, Apapa Port secured the 12th spot worldwide with a 35-point increase.
This data-driven bench mark tracks actual vessel call data, evaluating real-world metrics like ship turnaround times, berth productivity, and operational coordination.
By out performing established global hubs like France’s Marseille Port, Nigeria has signaled to international shipping lines that its gateways are shedding their legacy of inefficiency.
This global recognition is not an accident; it is the direct out come of a deliberate, continuous improvement paradigm championed by the Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho.
The NPA has aggressively focused on automation and digitization to remove human bottlenecks through the streamlined deployment of the electronic call-up system and single-window digital tracking.
Furthermore, slashing bureaucracy has reduced long delays that previously forced shipping lines to divert to neighboring West African Ports, while equipment modernization has upgraded critical terminal infrastructure under the strategic guidance of the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola.
The real world dividend of these operational upgrades is clearly visible in Nigeria’s macroeconomic indicators. Faster vessel turnaround times directly drive down freight costs and logistics expenses, allowing trade velocity to skyrocket.
Data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) confirms that these maritime efficiencies strongly supported Nigeria’s remarkable ₦7.54 trillion trade surplus in the first quarter (Q1) of 2026.
By providing a highly responsive and predictable platform for both imports and export-bound agricultural and solid mineral commodities, the NPA has integrated seamlessly into President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s broader economic revitalization agenda.
While this World Bank ranking marks a historic milestone, the leadership at the NPA recognizes that this is a baseline, not a finish line.
As Dr. Dantsoho noted, the next institutional mountain to climb is sustaining this momentum. The ultimate objective is to transition Nigeria’s Ports from being merely the “most improved” to standing firmly among the most competitive and highly efficient logistics hubs on the planet.
For global investors, international shipping consortia, and local businesses, the message from the 2025 CPPI report is unmistakable: Nigeria’s maritime sector is open for business, modernized, and built for growth.
Chief Ibrahim Nasiru
A Public Affairs Analyst writes from Abuja
