Economy
THE Lagos Port Complex, Apapa, says it reduced average vessel turnaround time to 6.18 days in the first half of 2025, from 7.3 days recorded during the same period in 2024.The General Manager of Apapa Port, Mr Debo Lawal, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Lagos, attributing the improvement to operational reforms and infrastructure upgrades.
Lawal said the reduction was achieved through improved cargo handling procedures, priority berthing for export vessels and more coordination among terminal operators, shipping lines and government agencies within the port environment.
He, however, noted that average vessel waiting time increased slightly to 14 hours between January and June 2025, compared with nine hours recorded in the corresponding period of 2024.
The port manager attributed the increase to higher vessel traffic and rising cargo volumes, but assured that measures were being implemented to address emerging challenges.
On berth occupancy, Lawal said the port recorded 57.4 per cent occupancy in the first half of 2025, compared with 48.3 per cent in the same period of 2024, reflecting improved utilisation of port facilities.
He said the performance indicators showed that Apapa Port continued to operate within acceptable global standards, adding that management was working toward reducing vessel turnaround time further to five days by the end of the year.
Lawal attributed the progress to the leadership of the Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr Abubakar Dantsoho, for aligning port operations with the reform agenda of the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC).
He also highlighted ongoing collaboration with the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) to deploy the Port Community System (PCS), which would serve as the digital backbone for the National Single Window and help eliminate manual documentation.
According to him, the PCS will enhance real-time data sharing, reduce operational bottlenecks, cut business costs and synchronise activities among the NPA, Customs, shipping companies and other port stakeholders.
Lawal said renewed stakeholder engagement was aimed at improving Nigeria’s competitiveness in regional and global trade, attracting more shipping lines and positioning Apapa Port as a major maritime hub for West and Central Africa.(NAN)
W.U
July 9, 2026
Tags: Dr Abubakar Dantsoho