Research centre seeks urgent review of national port system strategy

The Sea and Empowerment Research Centre (SEREC) has called for an urgent shift to a National Port System Strategy anchored on decentralisation, specialisation and integration.

The centre made the call in a statement by its Head of Research, Eugene Nweke, on Monday in Abuja.

Nweke said that the call followed its review of the Federal Government’s recent port infrastructure financing arrangement supported by U.K. Export Finance, alongside the broader trajectory of Nigeria’s maritime development strategy.

He acknowledged the economic importance of ongoing upgrades in Lagos ports, but expressed concern over the continued structural neglect of other national port assets.

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He said that the trend poses long-term risks to trade efficiency, foreign exchange stability and inclusive economic growth.

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He said Nigeria’s maritime system remained heavily concentrated in Lagos, which currently accounts for the majority of cargo throughput.

According to him, this concentration has resulted in persistent congestion and logistics inefficiencies, increased cost of imports and exports as well as overstretching of port and road infrastructure.

“At the same time, strategic ports in Port Harcourt, Warri, Calabar and Onne without mincing words, remain significantly under-utilised due to policy neglect, inadequate infrastructure linkages and inconsistent investment priorities.

“SEREC emphasises that the current port imbalance is not merely a logistics issue, but a macroeconomic concern with direct foreign exchange (FX) implications.

“Overdependence on Lagos ports drives up import handling costs, encourages congestion-induced inefficiencies and increases overall demand for foreign exchange.

“In effect, port inefficiency and geographic concentration contribute indirectly to pressure on the Naira and Nigeria’s external reserves,” he said.

He said the Federal Government’s investment in Lagos port infrastructure, though necessary, reflected a short-term, efficiency-driven approach inconsistent with broader national goals of trade facilitation, export diversification and regional economic inclusion.

He said that Nigeria did not suffer from lack of port infrastructure, but from poor utilisation, weak coordination and absence of a unified national port strategy.

The SEREC official recommended the specialisation of ports in their operations.

“Under the proposal, Onne should serve as an oil and gas logistics hub.

“Warri should handle industrial and bulk cargo, Calabar should serve as a regional trade gateway and Port Harcourt should handle general cargo redistribution,” he said.

Nweke called for expansion of rail links to eastern and northern corridors, rehabilitation of access roads to ports outside Lagos and integration with inland dry ports.

He said that incentivised Cargo Diversion Framework should be adopted to reduce port charges outside Lagos, fast-track clearance systems through Nigeria Customs Service alongside regulatory incentives for shipping lines.

According to him, aligning with Foreign Exchange Policy will reduce logistics-induced import costs, improve export evacuation efficiency and strengthen FX inflow generation capacity.

He said institutional and governance reforms were crucial to facilitate the establishment of a unified port coordination framework, strengthen inter-agency collaboration and promote transparency in port investment decisions.

“SEREC maintains that the continued prioritisation of Lagos ports, to the exclusion of other viable national port assets, reflects a narrow, revenue-driven approach that undermines Nigeria’s long-term trade competitiveness and macroeconomic stability.

“Nigeria stands at a critical juncture in its maritime development. The ongoing port financing initiatives must not be viewed in isolation but as part of a broader national strategy.

“SEREC urges the Federal Government to rebalance port investments nationwide, institutionalise a national port system strategy and align maritime infrastructure development with foreign exchange management objectives,” he said.

(NAN)