From Rotimi Asher, Lagos
Bashir Adeniyi Centre for International Trade and Investment ,BACITI, has outlined steps to improve port efficiency, digitalisation, and logistics to position Nigeria as a regional hub.
Dr Adesuwa Erediauwa, Senior Research Fellow at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs ,NIIA, revealed this in a report on Sunday.
The report, titled ‘Economic Insight: Building Resilient Port and Trade Logistics in Africa’, was produced by BACITI, a division of the NIIA.
Erediauwa said these measures are essential for Nigeria to benefit fully from the African Continental Free Trade Area ,AfCFTA, agreement.
AfCFTA aims to increase intra-African trade by 53 per cent by 2035, offering significant growth opportunities for participating nations.
She noted that amid global trade disruptions, resilient ports and logistics have become vital to enhancing Africa’s overall trade competitiveness.
Nigeria’s ports manage over 80 per cent of its external trade. Lagos ports alone processed 1.5 million TEUs in 2023.
In spite of this volume, Nigerian ports ranked 311 out of 370 globally in port efficiency, according to the World Bank’s 2023 Container Port Performance Index.
Erediauwa said Nigeria’s success under AfCFTA depends on how resilient and efficient its ports become in the coming years.
She acknowledged improvements in digitalisation, port infrastructure, and Public Private Partnerships ,PPPs, across the maritime sector.
However, Lagos ports still have average dwell times of 18 to 20 days, reflecting congestion and inefficiency.
Around 80% of Nigeria’s container traffic flows through Lagos, creating bottlenecks and slowing down cargo movement.
She added that dry ports and multimodal logistics networks remain underdeveloped due to poor infrastructure and persistent underfunding.
Without substantial upgrades, AfCFTA’s potential cannot be realised, leaving African businesses at a competitive disadvantage.
To improve resilience, she urged full digitalisation and implementation of a Port Community System across all major Nigerian ports by 2025.
Erediauwa also recommended adopting block chain for cargo tracking, now being tested in other African regions.
She called for completing the Lagos-Ibadan rail link to connect directly with Lekki and Apapa ports.
Investments in hinterland dry ports like Kaduna, Kano, and Funtua are vital to easing pressure on coastal ports.
She advised expanding PPP frameworks to modernise seaports in Warri, Calabar, and Onne to spread port activity more evenly.
Erediauwa also proposed a National Port Contingency Plan to tackle global shocks such as pandemics, climate events, and geopolitical tensions.
“In an unpredictable world, Africa’s strongest shield is a flexible and well-integrated continental trade system.
“Resilient port and logistics development won’t happen overnight, but Nigeria must lead given its economic size.
“With modern ports, strong infrastructure and digital tools, Nigeria can become a true regional trade powerhouse”, Erediauwa said.
