On X, former Governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi, has called on the Federal Government to “revitalise” the other “strategic” Ports in Nigeria after a huge $1 billion was approved recently for the “modernisation” of the Apapa and TinCan Island Ports in Lagos.
The other Ports are, Warri, Port Harcourt, Calabar, and Onne.
The 2023 Presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) did not hesitate to commend the Federal Government effort to bolster “efficiency and embrace technology” in the country’s maritime sector, however, expressed his disgust at the “excessive concentration” on the country’s port development only in Lagos.
In his reaction titled ‘The Imperative of Diversifying Port Development in Nigeria’, Obi said: “I have noted the Federal Government’s recent approval of $1 billion (₦1.5 trillion) for the modernisation of the Apapa and TinCan Island Ports in Lagos. While any effort to improve efficiency and embrace technology in our maritime sector is commendable, such an initiative must be guided by accountability, transparency, and equity for all Nigerians. However, this development once again exposes a longstanding concentration of our port development only in Lagos.
“Nigeria’s infrastructure investment remains excessively concentrated in Lagos, often at the expense of other strategic ports such as Warri, Port Harcourt, Calabar, and Onne. If fully developed, these ports could enhance productivity, drive trade, create jobs, and open new economic corridors that would lift millions out of poverty across the federation.
“Around the world, countries that have decentralised port development are reaping immense economic benefits.
“No country seeking to maximise its blue economy concentrates all maritime activities in a single city. Decentralisation reduces congestion, improves logistics, enhances national security, and promotes balanced economic growth.
“In Nigeria, however, more than 70 per cent of port activities are still concentrated in Lagos, burdening the city with chronic congestion, high demurrage costs, environmental degradation, and delays that discourage investors and inflate the cost of goods nationwide.
“Revitalising Warri, Port Harcourt, Calabar, and Onne would decongest Lagos, reduce shipping costs, attract investment, create employment, and stimulate regional economies.
“If prudently managed, the Lagos modernisation project could become a model for broader maritime transformation — a reference point from which similar development radiates across the nation.
“Now more than ever, Nigeria must rebuild with fairness, guided by equity, integrity, and a clear vision to transform our nation from one of consumption to one of production and shared prosperity.”
Photo: Containers at the Apapa Port in Lagos
