The Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, has announced that the $1 billion total reconstruction of the Apapa, Tincan Island, Calabar, Warri, and Port Harcourt ports will be completed within 48 months.
Speaking at the World Ports Conference of the International Association of Ports and Harbours (IAPH) today in Kobe, Japan, Dantsoho said President Bola Tinubu had approved the massive infrastructure overhaul as part of efforts to modernise Nigeria’s seaport system and boost foreign investment in the maritime sector.
He revealed that rehabilitation works would commence in the first quarter of 2026, following ongoing engineering, environmental, and design studies.
“We are targeting a 48-month duration for reconstruction, and we’re hoping to commence by the first quarter of next year,” he said.
Dantsoho praised the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, for his commitment to the federal government’s maritime vision, noting that the sector was central to achieving Tinubu’s $1 trillion economy target.
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The NPA boss, who also serves as Vice President of IAPH (Africa), emphasised the importance of collaboration and trust among global port stakeholders to attract sustainable investment.
He disclosed that Nigeria had awarded a port community system contract to a subsidiary of the Singapore Port Authority to drive the country’s national single window initiative.
Dantsoho added that Nigeria must invest heavily in automation and technology to keep pace with global port operations, stressing that the project’s success would depend largely on foreign investment partnerships.
