By: OrePulse

Nigeria's Federal Government has approved the modernization and upgrade of four ports — Onne, Rivers, Delta and Calabar — to spread cargo traffic beyond Lagos's congested terminals, the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy said on September 27.

The approval covers the ports of Onne and Rivers, both in Rivers State, along with Delta State's port and the Calabar port in Cross River State. It complements an earlier approval to modernize the Apapa and Tin Can Island ports in Lagos, which currently handle the bulk of Nigeria's containerized and general cargo.

The ministry communicated the announcement through Bolaji Akinola, Oyetola's special adviser on media and communications, rather than having the minister deliver it directly at a press event.

Minister of Marine and Blue Economy Dr. Adegboyega Oyetola said the decision was part of a broader effort to build a more balanced and efficient national port system. "This approval marks another important step in our determination to transform Nigeria's maritime infrastructure," Oyetola said.

The minister said the ports sector played a direct role in the wider economy. "Efficient and competitive ports are critical... they facilitate trade, support industry, attract investment and create jobs," he said.

Officials said the four-port program was designed to reduce cargo concentration around Lagos by opening additional international trade gateways elsewhere in the country. The government said the upgrades were expected to speed up vessel turnaround, strengthen regional connectivity between port communities and lower the cost of moving goods to and from Nigeria.

The initiative runs alongside the development of six new deep seaports announced as part of the same national strategy: Ibom in Akwa Ibom State, Bakassi in Cross River State, Agge in Bayelsa State, Gateway in Ogun State, Ondo in Ondo State and Bonny in Rivers State. Combined with the four port upgrades and the earlier work at Apapa and Tin Can Island, the program would give Nigeria maritime gateways spread across the Niger Delta, the south-south and the south-west, in addition to the existing Lagos hub.

Authorities described the two efforts — upgrading existing ports and building new deep seaports — as parts of one integrated maritime strategy meant to expand the country's overall cargo-handling capacity and position Nigeria as a regional maritime hub. Officials said the plan also envisions linking ports to roads, railways and inland waterways into a single logistics network, rather than treating each port as a standalone facility.

Taken together, the ten port projects — four upgrades, the two Lagos ports already under modernization and six planned deep seaports — would touch eight coastal and riverine states: Lagos, Rivers, Delta, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Ogun and Ondo. Officials framed the spread as a deliberate move away from a maritime sector historically concentrated in Lagos, toward a network of gateways serving different regions of the country.

The government tied the announcement to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's Renewed Hope Agenda, which officials said has prioritized infrastructure renewal and economic diversification. The Nigerian Ports Authority, which regulates and operates the country's ports, is among the bodies expected to carry the program forward, alongside the ministry.

No budget figure for the four-port upgrade itself was disclosed alongside the announcement, and officials gave no timeline for when construction or contractor selection would begin.

Lagos's dominance of Nigeria's maritime trade has long been linked to vessel delays, congestion on roads leading to the ports and higher costs for importers and exporters, and successive governments have pursued plans to shift some of that traffic to ports elsewhere in the country. The latest approvals extend that goal to four additional facilities in the Niger Delta and south-south region, in addition to the six deep seaports already in the pipeline.

Officials did not disclose further details on financing structures or construction schedules for the newly approved upgrades at Onne, Rivers, Delta and Calabar.