The World Bank has ranked the Apapa and Tin Can Island ports among the world’s most improved ports, citing significant gains in efficiency and reduced vessel turnaround time.
The ranking was contained in the 2025 Container Port Performance Index released in June 2026, which placed the two major Nigerian ports in the global top 20 for port improvement.
The CPPI, a globally recognised benchmark, assesses port performance based on the time ships spend in ports and provides a data-driven comparison of operational efficiency across ports worldwide.
The latest ranking reflects ongoing reforms by the Nigerian Ports Authority under its Managing Director, Dr Abubakar Dantsoho, aimed at modernising port infrastructure and enhancing service delivery.
The development also comes amid Nigeria’s sustained trade surplus, driven partly by improved port operations. Data from the National Bureau of Statistics showed that the country recorded a trade surplus of ₦7.54tn in the first quarter of 2026.
Speaking on the development, Dantsoho attributed the achievement to policy support from the Federal Government.
He said, “With the investor-friendly policies of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu providing the impetus for increased investment to drive our port infrastructure and equipment modernisation programme, coupled with the unflinching support of the Honourable Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, we have all it takes to further enhance trade facilitation, improve competitiveness and boost the national economy.”
Stakeholders said the recognition is expected to boost investor confidence in Nigeria’s maritime sector and strengthen the country’s position as a key trade and logistics hub in West Africa.