NPA Commends Lekki Deep Seaport’s Growth, Approves Channel Dredging to Boost Trade

NPA Commends Lekki Deep Seaport’s Growth, Approves Channel Dredging to Boost Trade

Lekki, Lagos – May 24, 2025

The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has commended the management of Lekki Deep Seaport for its sustained operational excellence, increasing throughput, and rising export volumes. The commendation came during a working visit to the port by NPA’s Managing Director, Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, who praised the port’s world-class infrastructure and reaffirmed the agency’s support for ongoing development initiatives.

During the visit, Dr. Dantsoho, accompanied by senior officials of the NPA, applauded Port Manager Emmanuel Anda for the port’s remarkable throughput increase over the past year, describing it as a reflection of efficient management and forward-thinking operations. He assured the port authority of NPA’s commitment to addressing its operational needs.

Highlighting the strategic importance of Lekki Port, Dantsoho disclosed that the Federal Government has approved maintenance dredging of the port’s channel from its current depth of 16.5 metres to 17 metres, with a target depth of 19 metres in subsequent phases. This, he said, would boost the port’s capacity to handle larger vessels and reinforce Nigeria’s position as a maritime hub in West and Central Africa.

“The rise in throughput volume at Lekki Port is exciting to us,” Dantsoho said. “Its ability to berth super post-panamax vessels and deliver rapid turnaround times is a game-changer for Nigeria’s export competitiveness, especially for agro-allied products under the AfCFTA framework.”

He emphasized that increasing transshipment volumes from Lekki Port to landlocked neighboring countries aligns with the NPA’s goal of achieving economies of scale and enhancing Nigeria’s foreign exchange earnings. He noted that the resulting growth supports the national economy and strengthens the country’s trade surplus year-on-year.

To facilitate this growth, Dantsoho revealed that a strategic partnership has been established with China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) to execute the dredging project. “This partnership underscores our seriousness about expanding Nigeria’s trade capacity and solidifying Lekki Port’s role as a transshipment hub,” he said.

Touching on automation, the NPA MD expressed satisfaction with Lekki Port’s cutting-edge technology and fully automated operations. He affirmed that the port’s digital infrastructure aligns perfectly with the imminent deployment of the Port Community System (PCS), a precursor to the National Single Window (NSW) for streamlining port processes and eliminating revenue leakages.

“Lekki Port is the most modern port in Nigeria, and its technological readiness makes it a key component of our PCS deployment strategy,” Dantsoho stated. “We are confident that with full automation and electronic transactions, port revenue will triple while unreceipted payments will be eliminated.”

On ongoing infrastructure projects, he confirmed the award of a contract for the survey of the Lekki channel, a critical requirement for international navigation compliance and enhanced channel management.

In response to requests from the port’s operators, Dr. Dantsoho addressed the appeal for a reduction in ship dues. He acknowledged the concerns but explained that the NPA’s ability to procure essential dollarized equipment such as tugboats and navigational buoys depends on adequate revenue. However, he hinted at the possibility of reviewing tariffs once the PCS and NSW are fully operational and generating increased revenue.

Earlier, the Managing Director of Lekki Port, Mr. Wang Qiang, presented several key policy requests to the NPA, including a revision of the tariff structure to reflect inflation, a reduction in ship dues for large vessels and feeders, and the introduction of night pilotage services to enable round-the-clock operations and improve vessel turnaround.

Dr. Dantsoho concluded his visit by assuring the port of continued federal support. “We are committed to sustaining the superior performance you’ve achieved and will do everything within our power to ensure that Lekki Port continues to grow as a strategic gateway for Nigeria’s international trade,” he said.

In a separate engagement, the NPA boss also visited the $19.5 billion Dangote Petrochemicals Refinery located within the Lekki Free Trade Zone, where he held a meeting with Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, to discuss strategic collaboration between the refinery and port logistics