Nigerian Ports Export Surge Q3 2025

The Nigeria — Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) reported a dramatic 1,085% surge in export-laden containers and a 16.2% increase in total cargo throughput to 33.52 million metric tonnes in Q3 2025. This marks one of the strongest quarterly performances for Nigeria — Nigerian Ports Authority in recent years, reflecting rising trade activity across Nigeria's ports. Container traffic climbed by 18.9% to 546,931 TEUs, with import-laden containers rising by 33.1% and export-laden containers surging from 5,812 TEUs to 69,039 TEUs. This led to a 21.5% reduction in empty container traffic, signaling an improved balance between imports and exports and stronger non-oil export activity. Ship traffic also grew, with vessel calls increasing by 8.4% and total Gross Registered Tonnage (GRT) jumping by 18%. Lekki Port emerged as the dominant growth driver, accounting for 46.8% of total cargo and receiving the largest ships. Abubakar Dantsoho, Managing Director of Nigeria — Nigerian Ports Authority, attributed this strong performance to the Federal Government's export-focused economic reforms, improved investor confidence, ongoing port modernization, and the deployment of digital systems.