There is orchestrated plot by detractors to de-market the management of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) before the public, using spurious allegations of financial mismanagement and low staff morale, but the Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho-led agency insists that its priority remains championing an era of accountability and port efficiency, increase the volume of export trade and improve on the port infrastructure to align with President Bola Tinubu’s economic policies
By Edu Abade
Credible intelligence available to this medium proved that some die-hard detractors of the management team of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) led by the Managing Director, Dr Abubakar Dantsoho, have embarked on a fruitless journey to rub mud on the public image of the Authority with a sole aim: to arouse the anger of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu against NPA to possibly effect a change of leadership.
These detractors, Tentacle’s investigation revealed, have sworn to deploy any available crude and desperate strategy to de-market and discredit the management of the NPA in order to make good their sordid intention. Some of these dirty means include, but not limited to engaging in smear media campaigns which seek, to pooh-pooh the efforts being made by Dr. Dantsoho and his team to enthrone an era of efficiency and accountability in running the affairs of the port industry.
In their desperation, enemies of the Dantsoho-led NPA are also seeking for means to corrupt some of the staff of the agency in order to use them to obtain sensitive documents to nail the management via some section of the media and cast an image of inefficiency and recklessness on the hard-working team.
The above investigation by Tentacle manifested recently when some online medium (name withheld) sought to inject bad blood within the NPA and erode its publics’ empathy and goodwill by alleging that some infractions may have occurred in the process of the management team discharging its duties.
The online report had alleged issues bordering on staff welfare and promotion, budgetary allocations, procurement issues, contract awards, spending at the London, United Kingdom’s office among other related frivolous issues. The inciting report which the NPA had since dismissed as holding no water, and therefore, spurious, also alleged that some multi-billion Naira mismanagement deals may have taken place at the NPA under the current leadership.
A team of Tentacle editors visited the headquarters of the NPA to ascertain the veracity of the report whereupon it was discovered that workers at the NPA were in high spirit and carried on their duties with visible enthusiasm.
In a statement issued by the NPA under the signature of the General Manager, Corporate and Strategic Communications(C&SC), Ikechukwu Onyemekara, the management, while dismissing the ill-fated report and its weak contents, posited that the Dantsoho-led NPA assured its stakeholders and the Nigerian public of its commitment to deepening the competitiveness of the NPA, the automation of its processes and the ports, through the deployment of the Port Community System, infrastructure renewal and the implementation of the National Single Window (NSW) initiative.
The NPA Management said, “The allegation of staff morale being at rock bottom falls flat in the face of reality. The current Management has to its credit, the clearing of all outstanding issues of employee stagnation and the conduct of promotion examinations in 2024. The management has received commendation from the two in-house Labour Unions for these reasons. So, staff morale is at its peak currently.
“To sustainably assure the competitiveness of Nigerian Ports and grow vessel and cargo throughput, the Authority recently secured the Federal Executive Council (FEC’s) approval for the commencement of the Port Modernization Programme
“The management of the authority wishes to advise all media organisations to seek clarification of their reports from the Authority, whose doors are open to constructive engagements and clarifications where necessary.
“The Abubakar Dantsoho-led Management of the Authority assures all stakeholders and the generality of Nigerians of its unwavering commitment to deepening the competitiveness of the Nigerian Ports through infrastructure and equipment renewal which has commenced, as well process automation through the Port Community System (PCS) which the NPA has propelled to conclusive stages in readiness for the plug-in of relevant stakeholders as the implementation of the National Single Window (NSW) project of the Federal Government gains momentum”.
Since assuming office as Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) on July 11, 2024, Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho has remained focused on providing leadership anchored on professionalism and accountability with a view to boosting the President Tinubu administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Specifically, in spite of the distractions that trailed his appointment, the management under Dantsoho’s watch has been making commendable efforts to restore the authority to the part of prosperity for the economic benefit of Nigeria and Nigerians through proactive leadership, calm disposition and discipline, which form the bedrock of any government agency of NPA status.
In view of the foregoing, notable port industry operators and business community personalities, have posited that Dantsoho has demonstrated professionalism, discipline and a rare determination to shake up old-fashioned narratives at the nation’s premier maritime agency, a development that is driving trade facilitation and President Tinubu’s strategy of growing the country’s exports, especially in the non-oil sectors.
Without doubt, the vision of the incumbent leadership at NPA is defining and redefining specific objectives necessary for transformation, and it is also realigning ideas, people and other resources for greater efficiency. The vision is further creating the needed momentum and will to make change happen, while inspiring the work force and compelling sister organisations to synergise with NPA to give their best.
Riding on this philosophy, Dantsoho has since his appointment as the NPA 10 months ago, demonstrated impeccable professionalism, discipline and persistence to shake up the old-fashioned narratives at the nation’s premier maritime agency. And this is hardly a picnic. In effect, he came prepared.
His re-engineering, transformation and repositioning of the NPA speak to fundamental changes that are afoot at the agency. This swathe of changes may lead to an unwitting mix up in the proper contextualisation and appreciation of their scope and significance. On assumption of office, Dantsoho promised to turn the organisation around and ensure Nigerian ports are the most efficient in Africa. He is doing that and more.
Upon his ascension to the office of the Managing Director, Dantsoho’s first order of business was to initiate fresh initiatives targeting cost and value maximisation by infusing greater efficiency in NPA’s diverse operations, plugging income leakages and cutting down on administrative overheads. The organization no doubt, if feeling the impact of these inevitable reforms.
Notably, some employees of NPA gladly testified to Tentacle that they have never had it this good since they joined the authority. They said that while bringing his wealth of experience to bear at the NPA, where he grew through the ranks to secure the topmost management position, Dr. Dantsoho has been working tirelessly at improving the ability of the Authority to recover the agency’s debts, and revenue collection mechanisms, which triggered a remarkable decrease in the debt owed the agency for services rendered to stakeholders, International Oil Companies (IOCs) and other partners.
In the area of revenue generation, the spokesman, Onyemekara said that the most significant testament to Dantsoho’s leadership is the transformation of NPA’s revenue profile. According to him, in a single fiscal year, the earnings of the NPA surged from N424.2 billion in 2023 to N893.6 billion in 2024, a rise that represents a 111 per cent increase that has not only outpaced projections, but also revitalized national conversations around the economic potential of Nigerian Ports. Onyemekara added that, “Such exponential increase is never an accident, rather it is the product of a deliberate strategy anchored on digital transformation, strategic investments, and fiscal transparency.”
The NPA image maker stressed that the stewardship of the Dantsoho-led management team has led to the aggressive pursuit of digitalization of port operations, as well as the introduction of a robust Port Community System (PCS), which is a twin initiative that has sealed areas of leakages through which funds had been syphoned from the system.
His tenure has catalyzed a revolution in employee welfare and industrial relations, breaking through bureaucratic inertia to address long-standing grievances. With the support of the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, Dantsoho has facilitated a decisive intervention in the chronic issue of employee stagnation. The green light for long-delayed promotion examinations has rejuvenated morale within the ranks, earning commendations from labour unions, including the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) and the Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations and Government-Owned Companies (SSACGOC).
On export promotion, Dantsoho said that in view of the repositioning of the port system, there has been increased efficiency in export processing, and moves to ensure the operational collaboration with other agencies and stakeholders which is necessary to grow exports. While receiving the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Limited, Dr. Phillip Mshelbila who visited the NPA Headquarters in Lagos recently, Dantsoho said, “Imbued by the mandate of the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy Adegboyega Oyetola for the NPA to support the increased export orientation of the Federal Government, we assure you of our unwavering support. The NLNG has played a key role in Nigeria’s economic development and export growth since inception. We will grow this partnership together”.
The visiting Mshelbila commended the NPA for its continued support and solicited increased synergy as NLNG Limited eyes expansion of its LNG production capacity to take advantage of increased global demand.
Nigeria’s attainment of trade surplus amounting to N5.81 trillion ($3.7 billion) in the third quarter of 2024 as reported by the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) foreign trade alert was achieved through exports predominantly consummated on the platforms of the NPA.
Dantsoho had on assumption of office last year promised to reposition the NPA for increased productivity and greater efficiency for improved revenue generation. Dantsoho said the Authority under his watch would rise up to the intense competition from neighboring countries just as he pledged to work tirelessly to improve efficiency, reduce costs and enhance the overall user experience in the nation’s seaports.
According to him, “As we embark on this Journey together, I wish to state that our main goal is to reposition the organization for increased productivity and greater efficiency for improved revenue generation to the Authority and country. We must rise up to the intense competition from our neighbors, we must work tirelessly to improve efficiency, reduce costs and enhance the overall user experience in our ports.
“I am confident that our predetermined objectives can be achieved through our collective efforts, therefore collaboration and teamwork will be the cornerstone of our success. I challenge you to come with me on this journey. Let me assure you that we will aim to pay closer attention to staff welfare by ensuring timely payment of emoluments, compensations and addressing issues of training and capacity development particularly for deserving employees who add value in their areas of deployment.”
Leveraging the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), Ports Modernisation, as well as determined to ensure that the Nigerian ports take advantage of the intra-African trade that is expected to increase with the coming into operation of AfCFTA, Dantsoho has taken bold steps to reposition Nigerian ports to increase their competitiveness to stay ahead of their rival ports.
This, Dantsoho said, is because he envisaged that intra-African trade will significantly increase with the collapse of trade barriers across African continent, saying, “It is, therefore, imperative that the Nigerian ports reposition to be competitive in order not to lose its gateway traffic to other ports.
“Our vision is to be the Maritime Logistics Hub for sustainable port services in Africa. In the quest for our nation to optimize the benefits accruable from AfCFTA, there is no gainsaying that port plays a pivotal role as a nodal point in international logistics.
“Given the fact that port cost is a significant component of freight cost which ultimately affects the prices of goods in the market, this speaks to the imperativeness for our ports to be competitive and efficient. This requires strategic collaboration of every player in the port system for this to be actualized.”
He explained that port competitiveness is driven mainly by institution, infrastructure and macroeconomics, insisting that strong institutions provide the regulatory and governance framework necessary for stable and predictable business operations, while infrastructure remains a cornerstone of port competitiveness, influencing both operational efficiency and long-term strategic viability.
“The quality of infrastructure affects transportation costs, trade efficiency and overall competitiveness. Investments in inland terminals, logistic zones and rail networks can expand a port’s influence beyond its traditional hinterland and bring about efficiency that makes the port competitive,” Dantsoho said.
While commending Oyetola for his support for the steps the Authority is taking to reposition the Nigerian ports, the NPA helmsman noted that a country’s macroeconomic environment is intricately linked to its ports’ performance and competitiveness, saying factors such as inflation, exchange rates and economic stability influence trade flows and investments.
In his quest for improved competitiveness, he listed efforts of the NPA to also include the Port Modernisation Project. He said it is envisaged that modernization will position Nigerian ports at the edge of competition and improves efficiency, and also disclosed that besides the newly developed Lekki Deep Seaport, the remaining six ports in the country are grappling with decrepit infrastructure, ranging from silted channels to collapsed breakwaters and quays.
“It is consequent upon this that the Authority has embarked on a port modernisation project, aimed at revamping the dilapidated infrastructure. The Lagos Port Complex and Tin Can Island Port Complex will serve as pilot projects”, the NPA boss remarked.
In the areas of PCS and NSW project, which are a digital collaborative platform that enables seamless exchange of information among the many port stakeholders, and provides a platform for one-stop shop payments for all activities within the port ecosystem, Dantsoho assured that the initiative would reduce paper work and administrative bureaucracy, while hinting that NPA in collaboration with the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) is working towards the actualisation of the project.
Under the ports automation agenda, Dantsoho pointed out that port operations can only be automated with modern and strong infrastructure. For instance, in container operations, modern Ship-to-Shore cranes can only be deployed on strong quay aprons. He said that, “Automation of our operations will be a major paradigm shift for our port efficiency. It is expected to reduce the turn-around-time of container vessels to hours instead of days.”
He affirmed that the country has a few new Deep Seaport Projects underway, which include the Badagry, Ibom and Calabar Deep Seaports, among others, saying that with the right and skilled manpower deployed to these new ports, Nigerian ports will certainly be competitive.
On the Export Processing Terminals (EPTs) and seamless export processes, Dantsoho disclosed that the NPA in collaboration with the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) approved the establishment of six Export Processing Terminals (EPTs) in the Lagos area, adding that, “All export cargoes are processed and certified fit before proceeding to the ports for loading on vessels. The establishment of the EPTs has seen our exports grow overtime.”
The trucks e-call up system otherwise referred to as Trucks Transit Park/Eto, the NPA leader expressed the belief that there is a correlation between port operations and hinterland evacuation of cargo, maintaining that to clear the encumbrances in the port access corridor in the Lagos Pilotage District, the Authority engaged the services of Messrs. Trucks Transit Park (TTP) for real-time solution to the hitherto congestion caused by port-bound trucks. He said over 70,000 trucks have since registered with the company, where they are electronically scheduled to deliver containers in the ports. The major achievement of this effort, Dr. Dantsoho said, is that the Authority has freed up the port access roads in Lagos which has increased the ease of doing business philosophy of the Federal Government.
The Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) and the NPA launched the Ports and Customs Efficiency Committee (PCEC) in April, 2025, a move aimed at enhancing efficiency and ease of doing business at the nation’s sea ports.
Speaking at the inaugural meeting, Director-General of PEBEC, Zahrah Mustapha, said improving efficiencies at the nation’s seaports would reduce cargo dwell time, vessel turnaround and turnover for customers.
Mustapha noted that the committee was inaugurated to change the narrative of missed opportunities in the maritime sector and unlock more opportunities, as well as enhance Nigeria’s economy.
“By improving efficiencies in our ports, we can drastically reduce the average cargo dwell time and turnover time for customers, eliminate duplication of documentation and manual processes, and ensure customers’ satisfaction.
“This is not just another one of our reforms, but this is about resilience, it’s about unlocking potential opportunities, and enhancing Nigeria’s economy. This is not just a committee made up of government force for a difference, this also has a lot of private sector stakeholders,” she stated.
Meanwhile, Dantsoho, hinted that the Authority is currently addressing four major pillars critical to repositioning the nation’s seaports to ensure that they compete effectively with their regional counterparts, stressing that investments in infrastructure, equipment, technology and human capacity would improve competitiveness and operational efficiency of the nation’s seaports.
Dantsoho noted that port infrastructure, particularly in Apapa and Tin Can Island Ports, is aged and in dire need of rehabilitation.
“Tin Can was constructed about 48 years ago, Apapa almost 100 years ago-yet no major rehabilitation has taken place all these years,” he said, adding that recent government approval for the reconstruction of both ports would significantly improve berth depth and cargo handling capacity.
On the technological front, he disclosed that the agency was working closely with the IMO to deploy the PCS, describing it as the backbone of the National Single Window.
Since his appointment in July 2024, Dantsoho’s achievements have not gone unnoticed to the extent that he has won awards from several organisations including the media. For example, he was named the ‘Man of the Year’ by The Reporters Nigeria Magazine, in recognition of his transformative leadership in the maritime sector.
He has also been recognised by Vanguard and BusinessDay newspapers for his outstanding contributions to port efficiency, trade facilitation and Nigeria’s global maritime standing. “Under his leadership, the NPA sustained port efficiencies that helped drive Nigeria’s international trade volume to N5.81 trillion ($3.7 billion) in the third quarter of 2024,” a reason The Reporters Nigeria Magazine said the award was given to Dantsoho.
A key highlight of his tenure, the news medium stated, has been the successful implementation of President Tinubu’s strategy for reducing petroleum imports, which significantly cut foreign exchange demand adding, “He also spearheaded Nigeria’s full membership in the International Port Community System Association (IPCSA), enhancing trade transparency through the National Single Window (NSW) project. Dantsoho’s leadership was instrumental in increasing transshipment cargo processed from Lekki Deep Seaport, catering to landlocked areas in Nigeria.”
To cap his achievements so far, Dantsoho has been chosen, in a historic election, as the Chairman of the Ports Management Association of West and Central Africa (PMAWCA). His election bears testimony to his hard work, foresight and determination to lift the NPA to greater heights.
