Sunday Ehigiator
The Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority, Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, has identified outdated port infrastructure as one of the major challenges hindering efficient maritime operations across West and Central Africa.
Speaking at a dinner hosted for port managers from West and Central Africa in Lagos, Dantsoho said many ports in the region were built decades ago and are no longer suitable for modern shipping demands.
According to him, Nigeria’s major ports, including Apapa Port, Tin Can Island Port and Port Harcourt Port, have aged significantly and require urgent modernisation to meet global standards.
“The main challenge we need to be serious about is outdated infrastructure. It is a general problem in the region and sub-region,” he said.
“Apapa Port has been there for over 100 years, Tin Can Island for more than 50 years, and Port Harcourt Port for about 100 years. They are old infrastructures and no longer fit for current realities.”
Dantsoho noted that global shipping has evolved rapidly, with modern vessels now far larger than what many African ports were originally designed to accommodate.
Drawing an analogy with technological advancement in homes, he said infrastructure must also evolve to remain relevant.
“Fifty years ago, homes were different from what they are today. Now you have flat-screen televisions, DSTV, Netflix and other modern systems. Ports also need infrastructure that can accommodate modern systems,” he added.
He explained that while ports in the past were designed for vessels measuring about 100 metres in length, the industry now handles ships between 300 and 400 metres long, requiring deeper channels, larger terminals and improved cargo-handling facilities.
“When you receive smaller vessels, you receive smaller cargo volumes. But when you receive bigger vessels, you receive larger volumes of containers. That is a key factor in port business today,” he said.
Dantsoho stressed the need for sustained investment and regional collaboration to modernise port infrastructure and improve competitiveness across African ports.
