FG moves to end cargo imbalance between Lagos and Eastern ports

The federal government has unveiled plans to address the persistent imbalance in cargo distribution between Lagos and Nigeria’s Eastern ports, insisting that a more balanced and interconnected port system is critical to reducing logistics costs and strengthening the country’s maritime competitiveness.

The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, stated this at the General Meeting and Conference of the League of Maritime Editors in Lagos, where he said the Federal Government was determined to reposition the nation’s ports to complement one another rather than compete for attention and investment.

Oyetola, who was represented by the ministry’s Director of Press, Mrs Anastasia Ogbonna, expressed concern over the heavy concentration of vessel and cargo traffic at Lagos ports, particularly Apapa and Tin Can Island, while major Eastern ports remain relatively underutilised.

According to him, the imbalance has consequences far beyond the ports, affecting national logistics costs, regional economic development, infrastructure utilisation, investment and the overall competitiveness of the maritime sector.

For decades, Lagos ports have handled the bulk of Nigeria’s seaborne cargo, largely because of their historical importance and the concentration of commercial and industrial activities in Lagos.

However, Oyetola noted that the heavy cargo concentration has placed enormous pressure on port and transport infrastructure, resulting in congestion, delays, longer cargo dwell and vessel turnaround times, increased demurrage and logistics costs, pressure on road infrastructure, environmental challenges and inefficiencies across the supply chain.

He said the Eastern ports, including Onne, Port Harcourt, Warri and Calabar, possess considerable strategic and economic potential that remains largely untapped.

“Their proximity to major industrial, agricultural, energy and commercial activities gives them a natural advantage in serving large sections of Nigeria’s hinterland,” the minister said.

He explained that stronger Eastern ports could support industrial clusters, facilitate exports, promote agro-allied value chains and stimulate economic activities across the South-East, South-South and Niger Delta regions.

But despite these advantages, Oyetola said the ports continue to grapple with draft limitations, inadequate infrastructure, navigation challenges, security concerns, poor hinterland connectivity, inadequate equipment, high operating costs and unreliable services.