The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has received the prestigious Outstanding Agency of the Year Award for 2025 from Champions Newspaper during its awards event in Lagos.
NPA’s Managing Director, Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, who was represented by Mr. Ikechukwu Onyemekara, General Manager of Corporate Affairs, called the honor a testament to his dynamic leadership in rolling out innovative strategies. These efforts support the agency’s ambition to emerge as Africa’s leading hub for eco-conscious maritime logistics and port operations.
He credited the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, for providing crucial backing that fueled these achievements. Among the standout accomplishments are the following:
- Ongoing improvements in port operations that bolstered Nigeria’s trade surplus, reaching N7.5 trillion year-on-year and N6.7 trillion in Q2 and Q3 2025, according to NBS and NESG data—largely thanks to export volumes handled through NPA facilities.
- Effective rollout of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s directive to conduct crude oil and petroleum product transactions in Naira, which conserved billions in foreign exchange, strengthened energy security, balanced trade, and generated employment.
- Finalizing Nigeria’s entry into the International Port Community System Association (IPCSA), setting the stage for the National Single Window (NSW) initiative.
- Offering expert support that boosted transshipment volumes at Lekki Deep Seaport, benefiting neighboring landlocked countries and reclaiming business from rival ports.
- Achieving a historic milestone with a Nigerian entity elected as President of the Port Management Association of West & Central Africa (PMAWCA) for the first time since 1972; Dr. Dantsoho also heads PAPC, elevating Nigeria’s global influence and restoring its IMO Category C membership.
These milestones set the NPA up for ambitious 2025 initiatives, such as the $1 billion overhaul of Tincan Island Port Complex, upgrades to major ports, fresh deep-sea port projects, and sustainable practices.
