The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has launched a high-stakes campaign to fully integrate Inland Dry Ports (IDPs) into the nation’s modern maritime architecture. Managing Director Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho is demanding aggressive infrastructure upgrades, deep-ticket private sector investments, and seamless digital connectivity to revolutionize Nigeria’s hinterland cargo logistics chain.
Dr. Dantsoho finalized the commitment at the NPA corporate headquarters in Marina, Lagos, on Thursday, October 8, 2026 during a strategic executive session with the Executive Director of Dala Inland Dry Port, Mr. Ahmad Rabiu, and other prominent representatives from the Funtua Inland Dry Port
The high-level meeting follows an official directive from the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, which transferred operational oversight of all Inland Dry Ports to the NPA. This institutional shift aims to solidify coordination between Nigeria’s coastal seaports and hinterland distribution hubs, advancing the Federal Government’s Ease of Doing Business agenda through a radically unified logistics network.
Speaking during the engagement, Dantsoho warned that the ongoing modernization of Nigeria’s seaports would be counterproductive if inland port infrastructure and technical capacity were left to lag.
He specifically cited the massive $1 billion loan facility secured for the comprehensive overhaul of the Apapa and Tin Can Island ports, insisting that inland dry ports must be structurally upgraded to match the velocity of the nation’s primary maritime gateways.
“For our Inland Dry Ports to function at the same velocity as the ongoing modernisation across our seaports, we must proactively upgrade dry port infrastructure and technical capacity,” Dantsoho stated.
Dantsoho further emphasized that digital transformation must aggressively extend beyond the coastlines. As the Authority accelerates the deployment of the Port Community System (PCS) and the National Single Window, hinterland facilities must urgently adopt sophisticated cargo-handling machinery and advanced data capabilities to manage surging cargo volumes.
He lauded the vital contributions of private operators to Nigeria’s supply chain, pointing to APM Terminals’ establishment of a specialized Export Processing Terminal in Northern Nigeria as a benchmark for the investments required to fuel the nation’s export drive.
The NPA Chief also called for intensified private sector participation, noting that sustained capital injection is critical to expanding trade access to international markets and fast-tracking cargo evacuation. Assuring the visiting executives that efforts to optimize the inland port ecosystem are already in motion, Dantsoho announced upcoming official oversight visits to the Dala and Funtua facilities to inspect operational conditions and assess physical requirements firsthand.
Representing the delegation, the former Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (now NPERA), Hassan Bello, Esq, expressed strong support for the NPA’s new oversight role, calling robust institutional coordination the missing link in inland port performance.
Bello cited the critical provisions of the gazetted Port Act, which legally designate Inland Dry Ports as official ports of origin and destination, underscoring their immense strategic weight in Nigeria’s global trade architecture.
He also confronted the stark operational hurdles crippling hinterland hubs, pointing directly to severe deficits in rail connectivity and broader logistics bottlenecks that stall seamless cargo movements between the coast and the interior.
The roundtable established a fresh framework for urgent technical consultations, physical planning, and targeted infrastructure interventions. Both the NPA leadership and the dry port executives recognized that detailed technical audits and sustained stakeholder alignment are mandatory to execute the integration effectively.
This renewed executive engagement underscores the NPA’s aggressive push to bridge the gap between seaports and inland cargo hubs—a decisive step toward eradicating chronic logistics bottlenecks, lowering doing-business costs, and elevating the global competitiveness of Nigeria’s maritime industry.
