The League of Maritime Editors has called for deliberate measures to address the imbalance in cargo and vessel calls between Nigeria’s Western and Eastern ports, stressing that a competitive port system remains critical to the country’s economic growth.
The call was made by the Chairman of the 2026 Annual General Meeting and Conference of the League of Maritime Editors, Captain Iheanacho Ebubeogu, in his opening address at the conference held on Thursday, August 20, 2026, at BWC Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.
The conference, with the theme, “Lagos/Eastern Ports: How to Reverse Existing Imbalance in Disproportionate Cargo Vessel Calls,” brought together key stakeholders in the maritime industry to examine the factors responsible for the uneven distribution of cargo traffic across the nation’s ports.
Ebubeogu said the choice of the theme reflected the League’s concern about the economic performance and development of the Eastern ports, noting that the issue had remained contentious among stakeholders because of differing perceptions, statistics and interests.
He said Nigerian ports regulated by the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) are regarded as Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) ports under International Maritime Organisation (IMO) standards because they accommodate convention ships of 500 gross tonnage and above engaged in coastal and international trade.
According to him, such ports are required to guarantee maritime safety, protect the marine environment, maintain maritime security and facilitate the swift movement of vessels and cargo to minimise turnaround and dwell times.
The chairman explained that ports perform two major functions as maritime logistics hubs and international border posts. While the logistics function brings together shipping companies, terminal operators and freight forwarders, the border control function involves agencies such as the Nigeria Customs Service, Immigration, Port Health, NDLEA and DSS.
He classified Nigeria’s major ports geographically into Western and Eastern ports. The Western ports comprise Lagos Port Complex, Tin Can Island Port and Lekki Deep Sea Port, while the Eastern ports include Delta Port in Warri, Rivers Port, Onne Port and Calabar Port.
Ebubeogu stressed that every port must strive to build a strong reputation and competitiveness by improving reliability, operational efficiency, safety, security, regulatory compliance and stakeholder confidence.
He said port competitiveness ultimately determines a port’s ability to attract shipping lines, cargo owners and logistics businesses through efficient services, competitive costs and effective connections to local, regional and international markets.
The chairman identified port economic growth as a major measure of a port’s performance, saying efficient port infrastructure and increased cargo throughput could stimulate job creation, industrial development, revenue generation, infrastructure investment, international trade and the emergence of commercial hubs.
He noted that the success of any port was closely linked to the volume of cargo it could attract, explaining that cargo traffic could broadly be divided into captive and contestable cargo.
While captive cargo is generated from or destined for the immediate geographical area around a port and is therefore less likely to move elsewhere, contestable cargo can shift between competing ports depending on cost, efficiency and quality of service.
It is the contestable cargo, he said, that has become the major concern in the debate over the Eastern ports, as stakeholders have continued to argue that the region is not receiving a fair share of Nigeria’s discretionary cargo traffic.
He identified operational efficiency, adequate deepwater access, competitive tariffs, reliable road and rail connections, efficient customs clearance, strong safety and security records and regulatory compliance as key factors that influence shipping lines and cargo owners when selecting ports.
Ebubeogu also urged stakeholders to broaden the discussion to the future of port development, particularly the emergence of smart and green ports, noting that the Federal Government’s Port Stimulus Project provides an opportunity to rehabilitate, modernise and build capacity across the port system.
He said rehabilitation and modernisation of the Eastern ports could lower logistics costs, increase cargo throughput, strengthen industrial activity and contribute significantly to national economic growth, urging participants to develop practical solutions capable of reversing the existing imbalance in cargo and vessel calls.
The chairman further called on participants to critically examine the papers and presentations scheduled for the conference and use the deliberations to develop pragmatic recommendations for improving the competitiveness of Nigeria’s ports.
The conference featured senior maritime officials and industry stakeholders, including the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, who served as Special Guest of Honour and keynote speaker; NPA Managing Director, Dr Abubakar Dantsoho; NIMASA Director General, Dr Dayo Mobereola; Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi; and Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, Dr Pius Akutah Ukeyima.