By Providence Ayanfeoluwa
LAGOS: Former Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, Hadiza Bala Usman, has called for a comprehensive review of Nigeria’s port tariff structure, warning that high and unpredictable charges are undermining the competitiveness of the nation’s seaports.
Usman, who is Special Adviser to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Policy Coordination and Head of the Central Delivery Coordination Unit, said port modernisation should not be measured by the amount invested in infrastructure alone, but by its impact on cargo movement, turnaround time, logistics costs and the country’s export capacity.
She spoke at the 2026 Annual Maritime Lecture of the Maritime Reporters Association of Nigeria, MARAN, where stakeholders examined the challenges confronting Nigeria’s ambition to become a leading maritime and trade gateway in West and Central Africa.
Usman said Nigerian seaports handle more than four-fifths of the country’s physical imports and exports, making port efficiency critical to the performance of the wider economy.
