*LAGOS, SEPT 7, 2026* — With the Annual Maritime Lecture just days away, Nigeria’s port sector is facing hard questions again. Despite having West Africa’s biggest market and highest cargo volumes, Nigerian ports are still being outpaced by smaller neighbours — Cotonou in Benin and Lome in Togo.
Industry players say the gap isn’t about geography or demand. It’s about policy, equipment, and enforcement.
Speaking ahead of MAMAL 2026, Dr. Kayode Farinto, former Acting President of ANLCA, said Nigeria’s natural advantage is being wasted.
“We have the market. But policy inconsistency, poor terminal equipment, and uncertainty around concession renewals are killing our competitiveness,” Farinto warned.
He pointed to Cotonou, where importers enjoy waivers and demurrage concessions that make it cheaper and faster to clear goods. In Nigeria, terminal operators are holding back on investing in modern cargo-handling equipment because concession terms remain unclear, he added.
Farinto urged the Federal Government to provide consistent, predictable policies and to move quickly on concession renewals if it wants operators to commit fresh capital.
*“Corruption and Chaos on Access Roads”*
Maritime consultant Okey Ibeke of ITASL was blunter. He said Nigerian ports are “not competitive at all.”
According to him, corruption is deeply entrenched, especially along the Port Access Road where, he alleged, some people benefit from the gridlock and disorder.
Ibeke also faulted importers for poor compliance, arguing that false declarations fuel extortion by security agencies and sabotage automation efforts.
He noted a key difference with Cotonou and Lome: “There, the penalty for false declaration is severe — including outright seizure of cargo. That enforces discipline.”
*Hope in the Shippers’ Council Act?*
Both experts said the newly signed Shippers’ Council Act could be a game-changer — but only if it comes with real enforcement teeth.
Farinto said stronger regulatory powers would force shipping lines and terminal operators to “play by the rules.” Ibeke added that without discipline and compliance from importers, automation alone will not fix the system.
Nigeria’s ports still handle the largest cargo traffic in West Africa. Yet inefficiencies, leakages, and weak enforcement continue to drive shippers and importers to Benin and Togo.
This year’s MAMAL 2026 will tackle the issue head-on under the theme: *“Nigeria Ports Modernisation, Charges and the Competitiveness Question.”*
For stakeholders, the lecture is more than talk. It’s a chance to decide whether Nigeria will finally turn its market size into port dominance — or keep watching cargo sail to Cotonou and Lome.
