Lagos ports have strengthened Nigeria’s export-focused economic agenda following a robust performance by the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) in the third quarter of 2025.
Data released by the NPA showed that total cargo throughput rose to 33.52 million metric tonnes in Q3 2025, representing a 16.2 per cent increase from the 28.84 million metric tonnes recorded in the same period of 2024.
Ship call statistics indicated that Tin Can Island Port led activities with 22.7 per cent, followed by Apapa Port at 22.2 per cent, while Onne and Lekki ports recorded 18.9 per cent and 18.4 per cent respectively. Calabar Port accounted for 2.1 per cent.
Analysis by vessel size showed that Lekki Port handled the largest ships, with an average Gross Registered Tonnage (GRT) of 57,244, followed by Onne Port at 51,276 GRT. Apapa and Tin Can Island ports recorded average GRTs of 35,556 and 34,400 respectively.
In terms of cargo output, Lekki Port emerged as the dominant driver, accounting for 46.8 per cent of total cargo handled during the quarter, while Onne, Apapa and Tin Can Island ports contributed 17 per cent, 15.1 per cent and 10 per cent respectively.
A breakdown by cargo type showed that liquid bulk cargo accounted for the largest share at 53.8 per cent, followed by containerised cargo at 26.6 per cent, while dry bulk and other general cargo made up the balance.
Export activities recorded a major boost, with export-laden containers surging by 1,085 per cent to 69,039 TEUs, while import-laden containers rose by 33.1 per cent to 268,713 TEUs, leading to a reduction in empty container traffic.
The Managing Director of the NPA, Abubakar Dantsoho, attributed the strong performance to the federal government’s export-oriented reforms, port modernisation initiatives and digital innovations, noting that the gains have enhanced efficiency and repositioned Nigeria’s ports for regional and global trade.