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NPA ALLAYS FEARS OVER LAGOS PORT REHABILITATION, SAYS OPERATIONS TO RUN UNINTERRUPTED
By prince Benson Davies
As the Federal Government gears up for the commencement of the port rehabilitation project, especially at the Lagos Ports Complex Apapa and the Tin Can Island Ports Complex, both in Lagos, the Nigerian Ports Authority NPA has allayed stakeholders’ fears of possible operational disruption as a result of the project, assuring that the exercise would be seamless and would therefore not hamper port operations.
Recall that Nigeria and the United Kingdom had during President Tinubu’s state visit last month sealed a £746 million (approx. $990 million) export finance deal to support the redevelopment of the two major seaports in Lagos.
Under the deal, UK Export Finance UKEF will guarantee loans for the refurbishment of the Apapa and Tin Can Ports, both in Lagos.
Speaking against the backdrop of the commencement of the project scheduled before the end of the second quarter of 2026, General Manager, Corporate Communication and Strategy Department of the NPA, Ikechukwu Onyemakara, assured the trading public as well as the shipping community that the exercise would be seamless and would not disrupt operations of the ports in any way.
He further disclosed that the rehabilitation project, which will kick off in Q2 of 2026, is expected to end within 48 months.
The NPA Chief Image Maker assured that the rehabilitation project will be done in batches to ensure cargo discharge at all terminals are uninterrupted and seamless.
Onyemakara, who argued that there would have been no better time to upgrade the seaports other than now said: “Rehabilitating Nigeria’s seaports is a bold step by the Federal Government. We need to appreciate the Government and support the effort.
“If Nigeria is to lead in maritime trade, it is critical that her seaports are modernised and capable of receiving larger, modern vessels.
“Some ports in West and Central Africa are already receiving larger vessels because they have modernised facilities. Most cargoes destined for other countries end up in Nigeria due to our population.”
He urged stakeholders to support the government in achieving seamless operations during the rehabilitation period, which is scheduled to commence before the end of Q2 2026.
He further assured that the rehabilitation project will not disrupt operations, arguing that as soon as a berthing area is designated for reconstruction, it will be completed quickly before work begins on the next one.
“The segmented approach was adopted to sustain seamless and undisrupted cargo operations so as to also ensure continued revenue generation for the government”, Onyemakara further assured.
Recall that part of the agreement provides that British Steel will supply 120,000 tonnes of steel for the project under a contract valued at £70 million.
The agreement is further expected to generate 236 million pounds in supplier contracts for British companies. This is given that at least 20 per cent of project components must be sourced from the UK.
