The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has been honoured with the Outstanding Agency of the Year Award 2025 by Champions Newspapers at the media organisation’s 2025 awards ceremony held in Lagos.
Receiving the award on behalf of the Managing Director of NPA, Abubakar Dantsoho, the General Manager, Corporate Affairs, Ikechukwu Onyemekara, said the recognition reflects the agency’s efforts to implement initiatives aimed at strengthening port operations and positioning Nigeria as a maritime logistics hub in Africa.
He also acknowledged the support of the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, noting that the ministry’s backing has contributed to recent achievements recorded by the authority.
According to him, the NPA has sustained improvements in port efficiency, which have contributed to Nigeria’s year-on-year trade surplus of ₦7.5 trillion and ₦6.7 trillion in the second and third quarters of 2025, largely driven by export activities through the nation’s seaports.
He further stated that the authority played a role in implementing the policy of Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration on the sale of crude oil and petroleum products in naira, a move he said has helped reduce pressure on foreign exchange, strengthen energy security and improve the country’s trade balance.
Onyemekara added that Nigeria recently completed its membership of the International Port Community System Association (IPCSA), a development expected to support the implementation of the National Single Window project aimed at improving trade processes at the ports.
He also highlighted the growth in transshipment cargo at the Lekki Deep Seaport, which now serves landlocked neighbouring countries and is helping to recover cargo previously diverted to competing ports in the region.
In addition, the NPA recently recorded a milestone with the election of the agency as President of the Port Management Association of West and Central Africa (PMAWCA), the first time a Nigerian agency has occupied the position since the association was founded in 1972.
According to him, these achievements are expected to support major projects scheduled for 2025, including the $1 billion reconstruction of the Tin Can Island Port Complex, rehabilitation of other major ports, development of new deep seaports and the adoption of more environmentally friendly port operations.
The award, organisers said, was presented in recognition of the NPA’s role in facilitating trade and supporting Nigeria’s economic growth through the maritime sector.
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