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Nigeria’s two busiest seaports, Apapa and Tin Can Island, have earned global recognition after the World Bank ranked them among the world’s top 20 most improved container ports over the past five years, highlighting significant gains in operational efficiency and vessel turnaround times.
The recognition was contained in the 2025 Container Port Performance Index (CPPI), a report jointly produced by the World Bank and S&P Global Market Intelligence, which evaluates container ports worldwide based on operational efficiency, vessel turnaround time and global performance benchmarks.
According to the report, the Tin Can Island Port Complex ranked 10th globally among ports that recorded the highest improvements between 2020 and 2025, while the Apapa Port Complex, also known as Lagos Port, placed 12th.
The ranking marks a major milestone for the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) under the leadership of Managing Director, Abubakar Dantsoho, whose administration has pursued reforms aimed at improving port operations, reducing delays and enhancing trade facilitation.
The CPPI, now in its sixth edition, provides a data-driven assessment of port efficiency by measuring the time vessels spend in port. The index enables comparisons across ports globally and tracks performance trends over time, helping stakeholders identify areas of progress and operational challenges.
Data from the report showed that Tin Can Island Port improved its CPPI score by 42 points, rising from a score of -68 in 2020 to -26 in 2025. Apapa Port also posted a strong performance, improving by 35 points from -61 in 2020 to -26 in 2025.
The improvements placed Nigeria among a select group of countries that have made significant strides in enhancing cargo handling operations, vessel turnaround times and overall port efficiency.
Notably, Nigeria outperformed several major international ports in the global improvement rankings. France’s Port of Marseille ranked 11th with a 39-point improvement, while Türkiye’s Port of Iskenderun came 13th with a 34-point gain. India’s Jawaharlal Nehru Port placed 14th with a 32-point increase.
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Peru’s Port of Paita occupied the 15th position with 32 points, while China’s Port of Keelung and Port of Fuzhou ranked 16th and 17th respectively, each recording a 27-point improvement.
The development comes amid Nigeria’s sustained trade surplus performance, which industry observers attribute partly to improvements in port operations and cargo movement efficiency.
According to figures released by the National Bureau of Statistics, Nigeria recorded a trade surplus of N7.54 trillion in the first quarter of 2026, continuing a trend of positive trade balances that began in 2024.
Industry stakeholders say efficient ports are critical to maintaining export competitiveness, reducing logistics costs and attracting investment into the maritime sector.
Reacting to the World Bank ranking, Dantsoho attributed the achievement to ongoing investments in port infrastructure and equipment modernization, as well as support from the Federal Government.
“With the investor-friendliness of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu providing the gravitas needed for increased investment to implement our port infrastructure and equipment modernization drive, coupled with the unflinching support from the Honourable Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, we have all it takes to advance the fortunes of trade and boost the national economy,” he said.
The latest ranking is expected to strengthen confidence among investors, shipping lines and cargo owners, while reinforcing Nigeria’s ambition to position its ports as leading maritime gateways in Africa.
