The Federal Government has approved a $1 billion (N1.5 trillion) modernisation project for the Apapa and TinCan Island Ports in Lagos as part of efforts to upgrade infrastructure and enhance efficiency in Nigeria’s maritime sector.

Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, disclosed this during the 2025 Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) Nigeria Conference held in Lagos, themed “Enhancing Logistics and Transport for a Sustainable Blue Economy in Nigeria.”

Represented by the Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, Oyetola said the project aims to improve cargo handling efficiency, expand capacity, and position Nigeria’s ports to meet global standards.

While commending the government’s initiative, former Anambra State Governor and 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, called for a more balanced approach to port development across the country.

In a statement, Obi said that although the modernisation of the Lagos ports is laudable, it highlights the longstanding overconcentration of maritime infrastructure investment in Lagos to the detriment of other strategic ports such as Warri, Port Harcourt, Calabar, and Onne.

He noted that developing these ports would enhance productivity, drive trade, create jobs, and open new economic corridors that could lift millions out of poverty.

“Nigeria’s infrastructure investment remains excessively concentrated in Lagos, often at the expense of other strategic ports such as Warri, Port Harcourt, Calabar, and Onne. If fully developed, these ports could enhance productivity, drive trade, create jobs, and open new economic corridors that would lift millions out of poverty across the federation,” Obi said.

“More than 70 per cent of port activities are still concentrated in Lagos, burdening the city with chronic congestion, high demurrage costs, environmental degradation, and delays that discourage investors and inflate the cost of goods nationwide. Developing other ports is, therefore, not merely an infrastructural necessity but a national imperative.”

Citing global examples, he pointed out that countries like Vietnam, Indonesia, South Africa, Egypt, and Morocco have achieved economic balance and efficiency by decentralising port development and ensuring nationwide connectivity.

Obi urged the Federal Government to ensure that port modernisation efforts are guided by accountability, transparency, and equity. He added that beyond physical infrastructure, reforms must address corruption, reduce bureaucracy, and embrace technology to create a seamless, paperless port system that enhances turnaround time and global competitiveness.

He further noted that if prudently managed, the Lagos modernisation project could serve as a model for broader maritime transformation across the country.

“Now more than ever, Nigeria must rebuild with fairness, guided by equity, integrity, and a clear vision to transform our nation from one of consumption to one of production and shared prosperity,” he said.