Nigeria’s two busiest ports, Tin Can Island and Apapa ports, have been ranked among the world’s top 20 most improved ports, thanks to the ongoing port modernization and infrastructure upgrade programme at the ports.
The ranking came in the World Bank’s 2025 Container Port Performance Index (CPPI), released in June 2026, which highlighted both Apapa and Tin Can Island ports in its global ranking of ports that recorded the most significant improvements in operational efficiency.
The report, compiled by the World Bank and S&P Global Market Intelligence, ranked Tin Can Island Port 10th globally among ports that posted the highest improvements between 2020 and 2025, while Lagos Port was 12th on the list.
The Container Port Performance Index (CPPI) provides a consistent, data-driven measure of global port efficiency by focusing on vessel time in port. It enables comparisons across ports and over time, helping identify where performance is improving and where challenges remain.
The CPPI provides a consistent, data-driven assessment of port performance worldwide by measuring the time vessels spend in port.
The latest ranking is a major endorsement of the Federal Government’s efforts to modernize Nigeria’s port infrastructure and enhance trade facilitation through reforms spearheaded by the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA).
The Ports Authority in reaction to the ranking said the achievement further reinforces its contribution to sustaining Nigeria’s trade surplus by providing efficient port services that support growing import and export activities.
Nigeria has recorded consecutive annual trade surpluses since 2024, with the most recent figure standing at N7.54 trillion in the first quarter of 2026, according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
The Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority, Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, attributed the achievement to the Federal Government’s investor-friendly policies and the ongoing port modernization drive.
“With the investor-friendliness of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu providing the gravitas needed for increased investment to implement our port infrastructure and equipment modernization drive, coupled with the unflinching support of the Honourable Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Gboyega Oyetola, we have all it takes to advance the fortunes of trade and boost the national economy,” Dantsoho said.
The World Bank recognition is expected to further strengthen investor confidence in Nigeria’s maritime sector and support ongoing efforts to position the country’s ports as competitive gateways for regional and international trade.
Media Team
