The Network of Nigeria Maritime Journalists (NNMJ) has warned that Nigeria cannot achieve its $1 trillion economy target by 2030 without urgent modernisation of its seaports.
The warning was contained in a communiqué issued at the end of the 2026 National Conference of the Network, held on Friday, 13th November 2026, at Airport Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos.
The conference, with the theme "Seaport Modernisation, Trade Facilitation and Revenue," was chaired by former Director-General of NIMASA, Barrister Temisan Omatseye, while the keynote address was delivered by Dr. Emeka Akabogu, SAN.
Other participants included the Chairman of the Nigeria Port Consultative Council (NPCC), Dr. Bolaji Sunmola; representatives of Women in Maritime Association, Nigeria (WIMA Nigeria); Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Lagos State Council, Comrade Adewale Akodu; and other stakeholders in the maritime industry.
In his keynote address, Dr. Akabogu, drawing from data from the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), UNCTAD and the World Bank, said Nigeria's existing port infrastructure and operational capacity are inadequate to support the projected economic expansion.
He stressed the need for increased container traffic, cargo throughput, ship calls, vessel capacity and improved port infrastructure.
The conference observed that prolonged vessel turnaround time and cargo dwell time increase the cost of doing business, discourage investment and undermine the competitiveness of Nigerian ports.
It called for cargo dwell time to be reduced to about 4 days and vessel turnaround time to about 3.3 days, with an immediate target of maximum 7 days dwell time.
The conference expressed concern over excessive dependence on road transportation for cargo evacuation, particularly from Apapa and Lekki ports.
It noted that about 90 per cent of cargo evacuation currently depends on road, while rail accounts for only a small proportion.
Participants called on the Federal Government to accelerate rail and inland waterway integration with seaports, with rail progressively accounting for 25 to 30 per cent of cargo evacuation.
The conference identified the successful implementation of the National Single Window as critical to efficient port operations, transparency, trade facilitation and improved revenue.
It expressed concern over delays in onboarding relevant regulatory agencies and stressed that the project must move beyond official announcements to effective implementation.
Agencies including Nigeria Customs Service, NPA, NAFDAC, Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), NIMASA and others should be fully integrated within clearly defined timelines.
The conference observed that revenue generation should not be pursued at the expense of legitimate trade and competitiveness.
It stressed that effective trade facilitation, reduced clearance procedures, transparent regulation and efficient cargo movement would ultimately expand economic activities and improve government revenue.
It also expressed concern over continued collection of container deposits by some shipping companies despite the provisions of the Nigeria Insurance Industry Reform Act, 2025, which prohibits such charges.
The conference called for strict enforcement of existing laws, improved revenue monitoring, transparency and accountability.
The conference called for strengthening of indigenous shipping capacity, development of the national fleet, expanded access to maritime financing, and investment in tankers, barges and bulk carriers.
It also identified inadequate reliable maritime data as a major obstacle to planning and policy formulation, and urged NIMASA, NPA and other agencies to regularly publish accurate data on vessel registration, ship calls, cargo throughput and indigenous shipping capacity.
It further urged the Federal Government to intensify promotion of non-oil exports through improved port infrastructure and reduced logistics costs.
The conference acknowledged the establishment of the Nigerian Ports Economic Regulatory Agency (NPERA) and expressed expectation that it would strengthen regulatory oversight, promote fair competition and address operational challenges.
It called for stronger cooperation among NPA, NIMASA, Customs, NPERA, terminal operators, shipping companies and freight forwarders.
Maritime journalists were urged to move beyond routine reporting to investigative and research-based journalism, benchmark Nigeria's ports against international best practices, and adhere to professional ethics.
The conference also called for greater unity among maritime media associations.
In goodwill messages, the President of WIMA Nigeria, Mrs. Theodora Nwaeze, represented by Assistant Secretary-General, Mrs. Yetunde Olori-Oladipo, advocated an integrated transportation system, improved port security and technology adoption.
NUJ Lagos Chairman, Comrade Adewale Akodu, emphasised transparency, stakeholder collaboration and specialised maritime journalism.
NPCC Chairman, Dr. Bolaji Sunmola, commended NNMJ and assured of the Council's willingness to collaborate, stressing that solutions to Nigeria's port challenges could be developed locally.
Similarly, the Shippers Association of Lagos State, represented by Pastor Nicodemus, called on port managers to discharge their duties effectively.
In his remarks, Barrister Omatseye urged journalists to embrace constructive criticism, investigative reporting and solution-driven journalism, and to collaborate with road transportation and railway reporters, noting that port operations cannot be separated from the broader transport system.
He also encouraged journalists to publicise investment opportunities in maritime and solid minerals, citing the Simandou iron ore project in Guinea as an example of integrating mineral resources, rail and port development.
The conference concluded that building a $1 trillion economy requires transformation of seaports and the entire maritime logistics chain — beyond physical infrastructure to digitalisation, regulatory reforms, efficient transportation, trade facilitation, indigenous shipping, reliable data and transparent revenue administration.
It called on the Federal Government, Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, regulatory agencies and private-sector stakeholders to translate policy declarations into measurable actions.
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