Lekki Port Handles 48.4% Of Nigeria’s Vessel Calls In First Half Of 2026
Nigerian ports recorded 2,152 vessel calls in the first half of 2026, representing a 6.9 per cent increase compared to the corresponding period in 2025, with Lekki Port accounting for 48.4 per cent of the total vessel traffic.
The port also handled nearly 40 per cent of the country’s total cargo throughput during the period, emerging as the leading performer among Nigeria’s port locations.
The figures were disclosed in the Nigerian Ports Authority’s (NPA) half-year performance scorecard presented at the quarterly meeting of the Port Consultative Council (PCC) in Lagos.
According to the NPA Managing Director, Dr Abubakar Dantsoho, the strong performance recorded at Lekki Port was largely driven by activities linked to the Dangote Refinery, which accounted for 76 per cent of the port’s total cargo traffic during the review period.
Dantsoho also reported an increase in the volume of inward cargo handled across the nation’s ports. Inward cargo rose to 38,411,323 metric tonnes during the first half of 2026, compared with 36,338,068 metric tonnes recorded in the same period of 2025, representing a 5.6 per cent increase.
Onne Port also recorded significant growth during the period, with vessel calls rising by 26.6 per cent, largely supported by LNG exports. The port accounted for 22.7 per cent of the country’s total cargo throughput.
However, Calabar and Rivers ports remained marginal contributors to national cargo traffic, jointly accounting for slightly more than four per cent of cargo handled across the country.
The NPA managing director further disclosed that some other port locations recorded declines in vessel calls during the period under review.
Meanwhile, the agency’s gross registered earnings increased to 96,693,108 in the first half of 2026, up from 79,981,595 recorded in the corresponding period of 2025. This represents a 20.9 per cent increase in earnings.
The performance figures highlight the changing distribution of vessel traffic and cargo handling across Nigeria’s port locations, with Lekki and Onne ports recording notable growth during the first six months of the year.
