Nigeria’s ports boom, indigenous shipping falters- Experts
Lagos, Oct. 2026 (TBL Africa) Maritime experts say that while Nigeria’s ports are recording strong growth, the country’s indigenous shipping, shipbuilding and vessel repair capacity remains weak.
The experts spoke against the backdrop of renewed concerns over Nigeria’s dependence on foreign vessels and ship repair facilities in spite of rising cargo and vessel traffic.
A Master Mariner, Mr Femi Amusa said on Sunday in Lagos that the decline in indigenous maritime capacity was at odds with the growth recorded in the nation’s ports.
Amusa cited Nigerdock, established in 1986 with World Bank funding on Snake Island, as an example of Nigeria’s earlier ambition to develop local capacity in shipbuilding, repairs and marine engineering.
He said the facility repaired more than 600 ships and built 28 vessels by 2001, while also fabricating major offshore structures, including the Bonga Deepwater Buoy and ExxonMobil’s Erha FPSO.
According to him, the facility also trained more than 6,000 Nigerians in welding, fitting and machining.
Amusa said privatisation in 2001 transferred controlling interest to the Global Energy McDermott consortium, which was later acquired by Jagal in 2003.
He said the facility’s focus subsequently shifted toward logistics, while Snake Island Port had expanded to 85 hectares, with MSC securing a 45-year sub-concession.
Amusa said agencies under the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy generated N1.83 trillion in 2025, compared with N700.79 billion in 2023.
He added that first-quarter 2026 figures showed vessel tonnage rising by 19.5 per cent, while cargo throughput increased by 11.6 per cent.
In spite of the growth, he said 1,102 cabotage vessels relied on foreign facilities for repairs in 2025.
He also expressed concern over the N50 billion modular floating dock acquired by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), which he said remained idle.
Amusa said the situation forced Nigerian shipowners to take repair jobs abroad, resulting in the loss of jobs and foreign exchange.
He said the country needed an integrated maritime-industrial policy to rebuild indigenous vessel ownership, ship repair facilities and technical training.
“Busy ports without Nigerian-owned ships mean that while port charges remain in the country, freight, insurance and financing revenues continue to flow abroad,” he said.
The Chief Marketing Officer of Nigerdock Nigeria, Mr Kevin Johnson-Azuara, said the shipyard had docked more than 700 vessels in the last decade, maintaining its position as Nigeria’s largest shipyard.
Johnson-Azuara said the facility operates a 25,000-deadweight-tonne (DWT) dry dock, the largest in Nigeria, alongside a floating dock and workshops for hull preservation, mechanical, electrical and electronic works.
He said the quays were equipped with facilities for fuel, fresh water, cargo handling, power distribution and afloat repairs aimed at reducing vessel downtime and extending their operational life.
According to him, following its acquisition by Jagal in 2023, the shipyard underwent extensive refurbishment and now operates at close to 90 per cent capacity during peak periods.
He added that the facility operates ISO-certified quality and safety systems.
The Chairman of the Shipping Association of Nigeria, Mrs Boma Alabi, SAN, said Nigeria, in spite of being Africa’s largest economy and one of its biggest trading nations, had limited participation in international shipping following the collapse of the Nigerian National Shipping Line.
Alabi described the decline of indigenous shipping as one of the sector’s major setbacks, saying the lack of shipbuilding capacity had further worsened the situation.
“At the centre of this story is Nigerdock, established in 1986 to provide shipbuilding, repair and marine engineering services while supporting Nigeria’s ambition to become a maritime powerhouse,” she said.
She said the facility had served as a major employer and training centre for skilled Nigerians and supported offshore oil and gas operations before its fortunes declined.
The President of the Shippers Association of Lagos State (SALS), Rev. Nicodemus Odolo, urged the Federal Government to consider a public-private partnership (PPP) arrangement for Nigerdock, backed by supportive policies.
Odolo cited the Dangote Refinery as an example of how private-sector investment could create jobs and strengthen domestic capacity.
“Anything that is for government usually ends up being misused because it is nobody’s property. The only solution is that our dockyards should be privatised,” he said.
The Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Indigenous Shipowners Association (NISA), Mr Gbolahan Adu, called for greater opportunities for Nigerian shipping companies.
Adu said the country’s shipbuilding challenge went beyond ownership, noting that Nigeria lacked the industrial ecosystem needed to build large vessels competitively.
He identified gaps in steel production, marine engines, electronics, heavy cranes, aluminium production, propulsion systems, specialised welding, naval architecture and marine engineering.
Others, he said, included dry docks, equipment suppliers, classification services, specialised financing and skilled manpower.
Adu urged the government to develop the supporting industries and infrastructure required to make indigenous shipbuilding and vessel ownership viable.
