The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has reported that export-laden containers surged 1,085 percent in the third quarter of 2025 as total cargo throughout climbed to 33.52 million metric tonnes.
Data released by the Authority on Monday shows that exports climbed to 69,039 TEUs from 5,812 TEUs a year earlier, with imports increasing 33.1 percent to 268,713 TEUs amid a 19 percent rise in container traffic.
According to the report, overall cargo handled at Nigeria’s ports grew 16.2 percent from 28.84 million tonnes in Q3 2024.
The spike in exports drove a 21.5 percent fall in empty container traffic, signalling stronger non-oil export activity.
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Vessel calls rose 8.4 percent to 1,074 ships, with total gross registered tonnage up 18 percent to 42.64 million.
Port-level data showed Tin Can Island and Apapa Ports accounted for the largest share of vessel calls, while Lekki Port handled the largest ships and led cargo throughput growth, contributing 46.8 percent of total Q3 cargo.
Liquid Bulk dominated cargo types at 53.8 percent, followed by containerised cargo at 26.6 percent.
Abubakar Dantsoho, managing director of the NPA attributed the performance to export-focused government reforms, improved investor confidence, port modernisation, and digital systems that reduced bottlenecks and turnaround times.
