By Steve Agbota
Will Nigerian seaports ever run a 24-hour operation? This is the recurring question on the lips of concerned stakeholders who wonder when the country will join the global shipping league and expand its market share in the lucrative multi-billion dollar industry. In 2017, amidst mounting port congestion and escalating demurrage fees, the federal government took decisive action by signing an Executive Order on Ease of Doing Business. This order mandated that government agencies and service providers involved in cargo clearance at seaports operate 24/7, aiming to cut costs for importers and ensure the timely delivery of goods.
Then, it was estimated that importers lose an average of N1 trillion annually to demurrage and storage charges paid to shipping companies and terminal operators for not taking delivery of their consignments as and when due. This was largely attributed to the lack of 24-hour port operations, a situation accentuated by other challenges.
Even with the weight of a federal executive order behind it, the envisioned implementation has remained frustratingly out of reach for years. A complex interplay of obstacles has conspired to delay its realization: the ebb and flow of political commitment, the drag of outdated infrastructure, the fragility of the access network, the bottleneck of insufficient data processing, the constraints of a 12-hour banking system, the shadow of insecurity and safety concerns, and the ever-present uncertainty of power supply.
Stakeholders who spoke with Daily Sun said the aforementioned challenges are the reasons potential investors are choosing neighbouring ports over Nigeria’s sea terminals.
The sluggish pace of operations at Nigerian ports has taken a toll on the nation’s economy, with importers facing widespread and considerable financial setbacks.
In response to this economic drag, the federal government initiated a 24/7 port operation. The core objective of this round-the-clock system was to dismantle the logjams and escalating costs linked to the inability to clear goods during weekends and public holidays, paving the way for smoother and more economical trade flows. As beautiful as the initiative looks, it has not been implemented.
Conversely, nations that have been operating 24-hour port operations around the world have been reaping the effects and benefits.
For instance, the Port of Antwerp in Belgium; Port of Jebel Ali, also known as Mina Jebel Ali, located in Jebel Ali, Dubai, United Arab Emirates; and Durban Port in South Africa, the second-largest container port in Africa after Port Said in Egypt, all have one thing in common: they run 24-hour operations efficiently, and this has made these ports more competitive.
Ironically, the government stands to rake in huge revenue if the 24-hour port operation is implemented and taken seriously.
For instance, Apapa Customs Command, which generated over N16 billion in one day, can double its daily revenue generation if Apapa Port has a workable 24-hour operation, according to experts in the industry.
This position was amplified at the recently-held fifth Journalng Port Industry Town Hall Meeting in Apapa, with the theme: “Bridging the Gaps to Actualise 24-Hour Port Operations,” stakeholders said that the lack of transitioning Nigeria’s seaports to full 24-hour operations has made them underutilised, thereby losing productive hours, with the resulting delays inflating logistics expenses.
The stakeholders said if Nigeria must fully leverage its maritime advantages, it must operate on a 24-hour schedule, like many global port hubs.
The Chairman of the Nigerian Ports Consultative Council (NPCC), Bolaji Sunmola, said while Nigeria’s seaports handle over 85 percent of the country’s external trade by volume, their potential remains largely underutilised due to inefficiencies rooted in infrastructural decay, bureaucratic delays, fragmented regulatory systems, and, most notably, limited operational hours.
Referencing global modern ports such as Singapore, Rotterdam, and Busan that are active 24 hours a day, seven days a week, Sunmola argued that their round-the-clock port operations and uninterrupted activity allow for quicker vessel turnaround, optimised cargo flows, and synchronised hinterland logistics.
He said Nigeria, by contrast, loses productive hours at night, resulting in ship discharge delays and increased costs that are passed down to the Nigerian consumer.
He stated that poor lighting, inadequate surveillance systems, and decaying access roads make night operations risky and inefficient in Nigeria.
He added that safe 24-hour operations demand robust electrical grids, well-illuminated terminals, rail-link connectivity, and automated gate access, noting that in Nigeria, regulatory duplication sometimes causes delays, higher transaction costs, and corruption opportunities.
Sunmola said a key enabler of 24-hour port operations is uninterrupted, sustainable, and cost-effective power, adding that Nigeria may not necessarily replicate energy-intensive, fossil-based models; instead, it can leapfrog into renewables and hybrid microgrids tailored to its climate and capacity.
He noted that Nigeria should implement Solar Photovoltaic (PV) to power terminals, just as the ports of Jurong (Singapore) and the Port of Los Angeles, as well as hybrid microgrids, which combine solar, wind, and biofuel generators with battery storage to guarantee consistent power.
“Studies have shown that implementing solar hybrid systems in port facilities can lead to significant fuel cost savings and reduced downtime over time. For Nigeria, this translates into both financial savings and enhanced reliability,” he stated.
Meanwhile, the President of the National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents (NCMDLCA), Lucky Amiwero, lamented that limited operational hours at seaports aren’t in line with global best practices. Therefore, Nigeria must achieve 24-hour port operations to be at par with global standards.
He said delays and the absence of nighttime operations increase the cost of doing business, reduce efficiency, and elongate the time lag for activities at the seaports.
He said a new regime for cargo inspection should be prioritised with state-of-the-art scanners with artificial intelligence, especially fast scanners with the ability to handle over 200 containers per hour.
Amiwero said to ensure the nation’s infrastructure and policy initiatives geared towards 24-hour operations are sustainable, there is a need for cultural reorientation for all categories of port workers, service providers, and port users.
The Head of Research at Sea Empowerment and Research Centre, Edirne Nweke, called for a comprehensive review of the policy framework guiding the industry, particularly in relations and other strategic areas of concern.
He emphasised the need for the industry to reassess and address its infrastructural shortcomings, adding that opportunities still exist to make realistic progress.
On access and performance, Nweke voiced frustration with inefficiencies but urged a collective commitment to improvement, including in areas such as monetary evaluation and systemic accountability.
He also stressed the importance of deeper collaboration and consistent stakeholder engagement to ensure meaningful reforms.
He challenged stakeholders in the maritime industry to shift from a culture of blame to a more collaborative, solution-driven approach in tackling sector-wide challenges.
The maritime expert noted that while discussions have taken place over time, now is the moment for more deliberate and effective action.
Meanwhile, the Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, said that the agency is fully committed and making efforts to modernise and expand 24-hour operations across all of Nigeria’s seaports, as part of the intention to align Nigerian seaports with international best practices and strengthen Nigeria’s competitiveness in global maritime trade.
He reiterated that vital port services such as vessel pilotage, marine operations, vessel traffic management, and exit gate management/control are already operating around the clock at major hubs such as the Lagos Ports Complex and Tin Can Island Ports.
The NPA MD, who was represented by Lawal Ibrahim, Port Manager of Lagos Ports Complex (LPC), said: “These continuous operations are supported by rotational shifts for pilots and marine crews, as well as digital systems such as automated billing and the Eto electronic call-up system, which streamlines truck scheduling and cargo movement, while implementation of the Port Community System (PCS) is at advanced stages.”
He, however, listed infrastructural gaps and security-related issues, which are being tackled—as factors affecting full 24-hour operations across all Nigerian ports, as lighting and other provisions must be in place to effectively enforce 24/7 seaport operations successfully.
“The NPA is collaborating with the Nigerian Army, Navy, Police, NIMASA, and other government agencies to strengthen maritime security and ensure safe movement for operators and regulators in Nigeria,” Dantsoho said.
Speaking earlier, the convener of the town hall meeting, Ismail Aniemu, stressed the importance of Nigerian seaports operating 24 hours for Nigeria’s economic transformation.
He noted that with government commitment to infrastructure development, Nigeria’s seaports could become the hub of shipping activities in the sub-region.
He said while port activities may have technically commenced from the “fairway buoy,” a reference to the outer navigation marker, several operations remain functionally closed.