Senior Advocate of Nigeria and maritime law expert, Olisa Agbakoba, has expressed serious reservations about the Federal Government’s reported plan to rehabilitate Nigeria’s ageing seaports, questioning the practicality and long-term value of such an investment.
Agbakoba raised the concerns during an interview on Sahara TV, where he reacted to reports that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had secured funding in London aimed at addressing persistent infrastructure challenges affecting Nigeria’s major ports.
The former President of the Nigerian Bar Association argued that decades of neglect, poor maintenance, and natural siltation have severely compromised the functionality of key ports, making rehabilitation efforts economically and technically unviable.
“President Tinubu went to London and got about N1 billion to fix dead ports. In my 40 years as maritime lawyer, I know that Port Harcourt, Calabar, Apapa ports are beyond repair,” he said.
According to him, attempts to revive such facilities may amount to wasting resources that could be better deployed in building modern maritime infrastructure capable of meeting global shipping demands.
Agbakoba instead urged the Federal Government to shift focus towards the construction of new deep-sea ports, which he believes are better suited to handle larger vessels and improve efficiency in Nigeria’s maritime trade.
He argued that global shipping trends have evolved significantly, and Nigeria risks falling further behind if it continues to rely on outdated port infrastructure.
Nigeria’s major ports, particularly those in Apapa, Port Harcourt, and Calabar, have for years been plagued by chronic congestion, shallow waterways, and obsolete facilities. These challenges have contributed to high logistics costs, delays in cargo clearance, and reduced competitiveness in regional trade….See More
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