The chief executive officer of APM Terminals Nigeria, Koen De Backker, has warned that Nigeria risks losing significant trade and economic opportunities without sustained investment in modern port infrastructure, efficient cargo evacuation systems and stronger collaboration between the public and private sectors.
De Backer said efficient ports were critical to facilitating international trade, reducing logistics costs, improving business productivity and creating wealth, stressing that Nigeria must modernise its ageing port infrastructure to support its economic growth ambitions.
He made this known during a plenary session at the 32nd Nigerian Economic Summit (NES #32), held from in Abuja, where government and private sector leaders examined strategies for delivering jobs, productivity and shared prosperity.
Speaking on the role of ports in economic development, De Backker said Nigeria’s ability to compete in international trade depended largely on the efficiency of its port system and the capacity to move cargo seamlessly through the supply chain.
“Our job is to facilitate trade, to be an enabler for cargo to move in and out of the port, and to create wealth and prosperity for the population of Nigeria,” he said.
He identified capacity constraints and prolonged container dwell time as major challenges confronting port operations, explaining that cargo remaining too long within terminals limits the capacity available to receive and process incoming shipments.
According to him, improving cargo evacuation through alternative transportation systems, particularly rail and barging, would help reduce pressure on roads, improve terminal capacity and accelerate the movement of goods.
De Backker cited APM Terminals’ logistics centre in the Ibadan area as an example of how investments in alternative cargo transportation could improve efficiency.
At the facility, export cargo is consolidated and stuffed into containers before being transported by rail to the port terminal, reducing dependence on road transportation and supporting smoother cargo movement.
He also called for sustained investment in modern port infrastructure, noting that technology, specialised expertise and private sector participation were essential to expanding capacity and improving operational efficiency.
Rather than regarding private sector participation solely as privatisation, he said it should be seen as an opportunity to professionalise port infrastructure, introduce modern technology and bring in the technical expertise required to improve service delivery.
De Backker further stressed that effective collaboration between terminal operators, government agencies, the Nigeria Customs Service and clearing agents was necessary to address operational bottlenecks and improve the competitiveness of Nigerian ports.
Using the deployment of cargo scanners as an example, he explained that collaboration with Customs had enabled containers to undergo scanning instead of relying exclusively on physical examinations.
He said the initiative had helped reduce import container dwell time from 18 days to 14 days in the example discussed, improving cargo availability while reducing costs associated with delays.
Earlier, Vice President Kashim Shettima, who represented President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the summit, reiterated the importance of productivity in translating economic reforms into improved living standards.
Delivering the President’s address, Shettima said the government’s pursuit of prosperity required greater productivity across the workforce, businesses and investments.
“Our pursuit of prosperity demands greater productivity from every worker, enterprise, and investment,” he said.
He added that the Federal Government would sustain efforts to reduce regulatory bottlenecks, strengthen transparency and policy predictability, and expand access to finance to support businesses and investment.
Also speaking, Chairman of the Economic Summit Group, Olaniyi Yusuf, said the theme of NES #32, ‘Growth That Works: Delivering Jobs, Productivity and Shared Prosperity’, reflected the need for economic growth to translate into tangible value, expanded opportunities and improved living standards.
Yusuf said the next phase of economic reforms should focus on reducing production costs, providing reliable infrastructure, encouraging productive investments and improving the effectiveness of public expenditure.
The discussions at the summit highlighted the importance of infrastructure development and stronger public-private partnerships in unlocking Nigeria’s economic potential.
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