Nigerian Ports need predictable tariffs to boost competitiveness – Usman
Lagos, Sept. 2026 (TBL Africa) Hadiza Usman, Special Adviser to the President on Policy and Coordination, has called for a predictable, transparent, and performance-driven tariff regime to boost the competitiveness of Nigerian ports.
Usman made the call on Thursday while delivering the keynote address at the 2026 Annual Lecture of the Maritime Reporters’ Association of Nigeria (MARAN) in Lagos.
The lecture with the theme: “Nigerian Ports: Ports Modernisation, Charges and the Competitiveness Question”.
She said the debate on port charges should move beyond whether tariffs were high or low to whether port users were getting value for money.
Usman said true competitiveness should be measured by the total cost of moving cargo from the ship to the factory or international buyers.
According to her, clearing a standard 20-foot container through Apapa currently costs between N14 million and N15 million, according to the Importers Association of Nigeria (IMAN).
She said the cost was about twice the amount required to clear a similar container through Cotonou, a gap that could influence shippers’ routing decisions.
The former Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) said port modernisation should be measured by outcomes such as improved vessel and truck turnaround times, reduced cargo dwell time and lower logistics costs.
She noted that Tin Can Island and Apapa ports ranked among the world’s most improved ports between 2020 and 2025 in the Container Port Performance Index.
Usman identified the Port Community System (PCS) and the National Single Window (NSW) as key digital gains in the sector.
She, however, stressed that digitalisation should go beyond moving paper-based processes online to developing fully integrated systems based on shared data.
Usman also backed the newly established Nigeria Ports Economic Regulatory Agency (NPERA) to strengthen oversight of tariffs and dispute resolution.
She proposed the publication of an annual port performance report benchmarked against competing African ports.
She called for improved road, rail, and barge connectivity to position Nigerian ports as regional trade gateways to West and Central Africa.
Usman also urged maritime journalists to hold the government and industry accountable through evidence-based reporting on tariffs, cargo costs, and terminal productivity.
“Efficiency is even more expensive,” she said, stressing that port infrastructure should ultimately be judged by its impact on trade and economic growth.
