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Dantsoho’s NPA Drives Maritime Sector Growth with Port Reforms
By prince Benson Davies
Nigeria’s maritime sector is undergoing a significant transformation under the leadership of the Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho. The sector, which handles over 80% of the nation’s international trade, has recorded a historic surge in activity, driven by increased cargo throughput, rising container traffic, and a growing export footprint.
According to the NPA’s 2025 Operational Performance Report, total cargo throughput surged by 24.8% from approximately 103.6 million metric tons in 2024 to over 129.3 million metric tons in 2025. Dantsoho described the growth as one of the most significant annual increases in Nigeria’s maritime history, noting that it strengthens the country’s position as a more competitive and strategic player in regional and global trade.
The growth is attributed to the transformative reforms of the federal government, led by President Bola Tinubu, and driven by the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy under Adegboyega Oyetola and implemented by the NPA under Dantsoho’s leadership. Key initiatives include the comprehensive modernisation of Nigeria’s port infrastructure and the deployment of the National Single Window (NSW), a digital platform designed to streamline trade documentation and eliminate bureaucratic delays.
The NPA has aligned its operational processes with the NSW platform and has been working with the NSW Project Team, KPMG, and Crimson-Logic to ensure seamless integration of the Authority’s Revenue Invoice Management System (RIMS 2.0) with the NSW architecture.
