Lagos Summit Yields 18-Points Plan to Recast Nigerian Ports for Regional Competitiveness
_African port leaders outline data-driven reforms for the Nigerian Ports Authority aimed at cutting costs, boosting throughput, and capturing regional trade under AfCFTA_ By Lod Onyeji LAGOS — When African port authorities gathered in Lagos this week, the conversation was less about ceremony and more about arithmetic. The question on the table was straightforward: how can Nigeria move more cargo, faster and cheaper, without eroding revenue or weakening security? The answer, distilled by delegates, is an 18-point operational agenda for the Nigerian Ports Authority [NPA] that leans on risk-based clearance, digital integration, and performance transparency. The proposals draw on empirical results from ports in East Africa, the Middle East, and Europe, and are calibrated to Nigeria’s position within the African Continental Free Trade Area.[AfCFTA] From Compliance to Competitiveness The central recommendation is to scale a single risk-based clearance system across Lagos and Onne ports....
