FG endorses expansion dredging at Lekki Deep Seaport to accommodate larger vessels 

The announcement was made by the Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, through a post on the official X account of the NPA on Sunday, May 25, 2025.

Currently, the port’s draught stands at 16.5 metres; however, the announcement did not specify the targeted depth for the planned dredging project.

“This comes on the heels of the Honourable Minister of Marine & Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola’s endorsement of the strategic alliance between the NPA and Lekki Port to dredge beyond the current draft in preparation for increasing vessel and cargo throughput,” the statement partly read.

The statement highlighted that the endorsement follows a strategic partnership between the NPA and Lekki Port aimed at expanding the port’s capacity and boosting operational efficiency.

Dantsoho commended the management of Lekki Deep Seaport for their consistent superior performance and reaffirmed the NPA’s commitment to providing all necessary support to optimize the port’s operations.

The NPA Managing Director emphasized that the management aims to position the national economy to fully leverage the multi-dimensional benefits of economies of scale, capitalizing on Lekki Port’s ability to berth super post-panamax vessels.

He highlighted that Lekki’s state-of-the-art infrastructure and fully automated systems align with the NPA’s broader port modernization programme, which enjoys robust policy support from Minister Oyetola.

He described Lekki Deep Seaport as a model for the direction the NPA is pursuing in aggressively implementing its port modernization initiatives.

During his visit, Dr. Dantsoho was accompanied by key industry stakeholders, including the Chairman of the Lekki Port Board, Mr. Abiodun Dabiri; Managing Director of Lekki Port, Mr. Qiang Wang; Executive Director Finance & Administration of NPA, Vivian Richard-Edet; and Director of Lekki Port, Alhaji Olabode Oyedele.

The Lekki Deep Seaport is operated by Lekki Port LFTZ Enterprise Limited (LPLEL), the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) awarded the concession by the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) to develop, build, and manage the port.

The port is incorporated under the Companies & Allied Matters Act and operates within the Lagos Free Trade Zone under a license granted by the Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA).