AfCFTA and Nigeria's port infrastructure

Zawya

11-04-2025

The African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement (AfCFTA) Agreement presents Nigeria with a pivotal opportunity to advance its economic integration with other African nations. Nigeria's substantial economic size and advantageous coastal position positions it to benefit from expanded trade prospects. Entry point ports critical for Nigeria's economic progress face significant congestion issues, outdated facilities, and inefficient operations. As AfCFTA promises a surge in trade flow, the question remains: Will Nigeria's ports be able to function correctly, or will their current bottlenecks and bureaucratic delays block the nation's potential growth? The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) enhances the importance of ports, which serve as essential lifelines for trade operations. The anticipated expansion of trade volume across Africa demands efficient port systems to guarantee seamless goods transportation and cost reduction while creating stronger regional connections. To capitalize on AfCFTA, Nigeria needs to upgrade its port operations because West African trade heavily depends on its ports. Efficient port systems strengthen supply chains by attracting investment capital, leading to industrial growth and job creation. Nigeria will face substantial financial challenges if it does not improve its infrastructure and regulatory systems and optimize its logistics networks. Through advanced port investments and operational efficiency, Nigeria can become a leader in intra-African trade and seize AfCFTA's vast opportunities.
The introduction of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) will initiate a new trade expansion phase across Africa, which will depend heavily on maritime transport. Nigeria's position as West Africa's largest economy and one of Africa's largest economies gives it key regional ports that place it at the heart of a developing maritime trade network. The AfCFTA is expected to stimulate significant trade growth, substantially increasing sea cargo transportation volumes. The expanding growth in maritime trade offers excellent potential for Nigeria's maritime sector but introduces significant challenges that must be addressed. The country stands to gain from anticipated trade expansion because of its strategically situated location along the Gulf of Guinea, with an extensive coastline and advanced port facilities.
Nigeria's influence on regional trade leads to greater recognition of its potential as a maritime centre. Lagos ports, such as Apapa and Tin Can Island,are essential transit points for Nigeria and its landlocked neighbours. The existing transport system and Nigeria's regional economic influence establish a solid foundation for its growth into a major maritime centre in Africa. Nigeria must tackle infrastructure and port operation obstacles to handle the expected growth in trade activity. Nigeria should prioritize expanding cargo handling facilities and optimizing port procedures and inland market linkages to unlock its full potential as a maritime center.
Developing new ports, including the Lekki Deep Sea Port, demonstrates Nigeria's steadfast dedication to improving and modernising its maritime infrastructure. These initiatives enable our ports to handle larger vessels and increase cargo flows by enhancing operational efficiency, which satisfies the growing trade requirements of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). The push by AfCFTA to enhance internal African trade reveals Nigeria's essential function as a maritime nucleus. Our ports must develop capabilities to handle growing import and export volumes while functioning as transshipment hubs for shifting African trade routes. This development represents an opportunity for Nigeria to strengthen its position within regional and continental supply networks. As Nigeria assumes its central role in the AfCFTA maritime network with increasing trade levels, strategic investments in port facilities, technological progress, and operation enhancements must be encouraged to build a prosperous future.
Nigeria's port infrastructure plays a crucial role since the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is set to transform trade patterns. Current port conditions present consistent congestion, outdated facilities, and operational delays that heavily restrict trade efficiency. Nigerian ports struggle with the significant problem of large quantities of cargo being redirected to nearby countries. The Nigerian Shippers' Council indicates that about 60% of containers bound for Nigeria end up at ports in Ghana, Togo, Benin Republic, and Côte d'Ivoire.
Operational problems at major Lagos terminals, including Apapa and Tin-Can ports, stand out as exceptionally significant. Ships regularly face long delays of up to 25 days before port docking. Cargo dwell times at Nigerian ports surpass international benchmarks by averaging 13 days, while the global standard remains four days. The presence of bureaucratic bottlenecks drawn from more than 14 regulatory agencies causes prolonged delays and increases demurrage expenses. The container blockades enacted by various security agencies have been observed as a contributing factor to delays in the clearance of goods at Nigerian ports. The Nigerian Shippers' Council actively seeks to engage with these agencies to gain insights into the reasons behind these blockades, often receiving assurances that their actions are in line with their operational responsibilities. Nonetheless, these delays can result in the accumulation of demurrage and storage charges, which may place financial pressure on importers and consignees. It is important to acknowledge that, following the review of these blockades and the completion of investigations, there is often a lack of substantial findings. This situation prompts valuable discussions regarding the effectiveness and accountability of security operations and how they can be improved for the benefit of all stakeholders involved.
Ports in Onne, Calabar, Warri, and Port Harcourt encounter obstacles that prevent them from supporting Lagos in managing Nigeria's trade movement. The ports face multiple operational challenges, including insufficient infrastructure and poor transportation links between road and rail networks. Ports like Calabar cannot service larger ships because they lack deep-water facilities. Inefficient access roads create significant transportation delays for goods reaching inland markets. Despite their advantageous locations, security issues, including piracy in the Gulf of Guinea, restrict the operational effectiveness of these ports. Persistent congestion, delays, and outdated port infrastructure in Nigeria create extensive and effects that span multiple economic sectors.
Delays in cargo clearance, which lead to higher demurrage charges, create substantial additional costs for businesses operating in Nigeria. The increasing charges faced by importers and exporters result in higher costs of goods and services. These fees paid in Naira create extra financial strain for businesses,which leads to even more repercussions
Foreign-owned shipping companies and terminal operators need US dollars to repatriate their profits. The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) initiates a harmful feedback loop by exchanging Naira from demurrage payments into dollars. Demand for dollars causes these expenses, intensifying the pressure on Nigeria's limited foreign exchange reserves.
This situation leads to the erosion of Nigeria's foreign exchange reserves because of substantial dollar outflows from the economy. The need for dollars to finalize shipping and terminal remittances created a shortage of foreign currency, which resulted in the Naira losing more value. This situation triggers inflation, diminishing Nigerian purchasing power and elevating prices for essential goods and services while consumers absorb the increased costs. The demand for foreign currency intensifies the existing exchange rate challenges, resulting in additional financial market volatility.
Operational inefficiencies and port delays cause shipping companies to redirect trade to neighboring countries like Ghana, Benin, and Côte d'Ivoire, which operate their ports more efficiently and ensure faster shipping times. As trade routes change course, Nigeria faces reduced competitiveness in maritime operations while foreign ports gain substantial revenue. Nigeria faces the threat of losing its top trade gateway status in West Africa because businesses are moving towards ports that offer better reliability and lower costs.
Foreign investors find Nigerian ports less appealing because extended delays and operational inefficiencies drive them to search for better trade and shipping opportunities elsewhere. High operational costs in Nigeria and poor port efficiency create barriers that prevent new trade businesses from investing. Nigeria may struggle to benefit from the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) due to current limitations that prevent the expansion of trade and economic growth.
The ports in Onne, Calabar, Warri, and Port Harcourt face significant limitations that hinder their ability to support Lagos in managing Nigeria's dynamic trade network. As a result, Nigeria has not effectively distributed its trade activities across its diverse port infrastructure, leading to an overreliance on the congested and inefficient Lagos ports. This dependency creates substantial delays and increases costs for both importers and exporters. Consequently, Nigeria's ports struggle with reduced competitiveness, allowing neighboring countries like Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire to gain a business edge through improved operational efficiency. Furthermore, the underutilization of these ports limits Nigeria's potential to fully leverage opportunities from the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Nigeria stands to lose critical economic benefits from AfCFTA because traders are progressively choosing more efficient regional port options for their cargo delivery, aggravating the difficulties of Nigeria's largely unused ports.
Strategies for Enhancing Port Readiness
Nigeria faces a pivotal moment in port infrastructure development, which demands immediate reforms to tackle congestion problems and outdated facilities that lead to delays and cargo redirection to neighboring countries. Port operation inefficiencies and logistical challenges prevent Nigeria from maximizing its benefits from the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) opportunities. Nigeria needs to implement a multi-pronged approach to fully maximize its port capabilities and accommodate the anticipated trade growth from AfCFTA.
The development of modern port infrastructure is crucial to accommodate growing trade volumes. Significant investments are needed for the Apapa and Tin-Can ports in Lagos to expand berths, replace outdated cargo-handling equipment, and upgrade quay walls since these ports rank among the nation's busiest. Calabar and Onne ports require deep-water facilities to handle larger ships. Developing the capacity of secondary ports across Nigeria will ease the load on Lagos while enabling better trade movement throughout the nation. Transport networks lack cohesion, which is a significant barrier to development. Inadequate road and rail links to these ports worsen delays in inland transportation and increased logistics costs.
Enhancing port efficiency requires streamlining bureaucratic processes. The cargo clearance process becomes inefficient and costly because more than 14 regulatory bodies are involved. Implementing a unified single-window system streamlines clearance operations and minimizes the time cargo remains in port. Also, ports outside Lagos face significant security challenges, which keep shipping companies away. Advanced surveillance systems, frequent patrols, and international cooperation fortify maritime security against potential threats. Government-backed loan guarantees, public-private partnerships (PPPs), and tax breaks would attract domestic and foreign investors by filling financing gaps in port development.
Implementing digital clearance reforms and e-port systems while minimizing human inspection roles would greatly enhance turnaround efficiency. Implementing these measures will lower demurrage charges for traders and enhance the appeal of Nigerian ports relative to regional competitors.
In conclusion, to become an influential player in AfCFTA, Nigeria must tackle these challenges head-on. Developing Nigeria's ports into efficient trade hubs requires critical actions such as modernizing infrastructure and streamlining processes while enhancing port security and attracting investments. Inaction threatens to maintain inefficiencies and surrender profitable trade opportunities to more advanced maritime systems in neighboring countries. If Nigeria fully and immediately enacts these reforms, it will unleash its potential to become the primary driver of intra-African trade under AfCFTA.
Fadola, a maritime expert, is a senior legal officer at the Nigerian Shippers Council.
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