Nigeria Dominates West African Cargo but Struggles with Transshipment Business

Nigeria accounts for about 78% of cargo in the West and Central African region, but it is not benefiting economically due to issues in its port system. Lucky Amiwero, the National President of the National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents (NCMDLCA), highlighted these concerns during a recent event in Lagos.

Amiwero pointed out that Nigeria is losing transit and transshipment business to neighboring countries like Ghana, Togo, Benin Republic, and Côte d’Ivoire. He called for a thorough review of the country’s port system to improve its efficiency and competitiveness.

He noted that despite having a significant share of cargo, Nigeria’s infrastructure and port operations are lacking. This inefficiency prevents the country from fully benefiting from maritime trade. “We have a lot of ports, but where are we benefiting?” he asked.

Amiwero suggested forming a committee of maritime experts to evaluate the operations and infrastructure of key ports, including the Lagos Port Complex, Tin Can Island Port, Lekki Deep Sea Port, and Calabar Port. He believes this review could help redesign Nigeria’s port system and attract more cargo.

He compared Nigeria’s situation to that of Ghana, which has fewer ports but achieves higher efficiency. “Ghana has just one main port, yet their throughput is higher than Nigeria’s because of efficiency,” he explained.