The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) announced that 103,375 vehicles were imported through Nigerian ports in the first half of 2026, a 42.5 % increase over the 72,568 units handled during the same period in 2025. The figures were presented at the quarterly meeting of the Port Consultative Council (PCC) in Lagos, where the authority reviewed its half‑year operational performance.
"The sharp rise in vehicle traffic is largely due to transhipment activities at the PTML Terminal," said Mrs Okenwa Igwebuike, Principal Manager – Statistics, speaking on behalf of NPA Managing Director Dr Abubakar Dantsoho.
Vehicle handling emerged as one of the few areas with significant growth on the NPA’s performance scorecard. The broader port sector also posted gains: vessel calls rose to 2,152—a 6.9 % increase—while gross registered earnings climbed 20.9 % to ₦96.69 billion. Total cargo throughput reached 68.29 million metric tons, up 12.2 % from the previous year, with inward cargo accounting for 38.41 million tons, a 5.6 % rise.
Lekki Port led the surge, recording a 48.4 % jump in vessel calls and handling nearly 40 % of the nation’s cargo throughput, a performance the NPA linked to the Dangote Refinery, which contributed about 76 % of the port’s cargo during the period. Onne Port also posted strong growth, with vessel calls up 26.6 % and accounting for 22.7 % of national cargo, driven largely by LNG exports. By contrast, Calabar and Rivers ports together contributed just over 4 % of total cargo, and all other ports saw a decline in vessel calls.
Container traffic increased 10.3 % to 815,346 TEUs, of which imports made up 67 % (546,755 TEUs) and exports 25 % (203,980 TEUs). Transhipment containers grew sharply, up 169.5 % to 35,570 TEUs, though they still represent only 4 % of total container movements. Ship turnaround time slipped to an average of 5.3 days per berth, a 6 % deterioration, underscoring operational pressures despite the overall positive trends. The report highlighted the Dangote Refinery as a defining factor in the sector’s growth, now accounting for roughly 40 % of total annual port traffic.
<small>Source: Vanguard News — read the original story there.</small>
