By Abubakar Yunusa
Nigeria risks losing significant trade and economic opportunities unless it urgently invests in modern port infrastructure, efficient cargo evacuation systems and stronger public-private partnerships, the Chief Executive Officer of APM Terminals Nigeria, Koen De Backker, has warned.
De Backker said the country’s ageing port infrastructure and operational bottlenecks were undermining its ability to compete effectively in international trade.
He called for sustained investment in port modernisation, technology and alternative cargo transportation systems to reduce logistics costs and improve efficiency.
The APM Terminals boss spoke during a plenary session at the 32nd Nigerian Economic Summit in Abuja, where government and private sector leaders discussed strategies for creating jobs, improving productivity and promoting shared prosperity.
He said efficient ports were essential to facilitating international trade, improving business productivity and creating economic opportunities.
“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.
De Backker identified capacity constraints and prolonged container dwell time as major challenges affecting Nigerian ports.
He explained that when containers remain too long within terminals, they occupy space needed to receive and process incoming cargo, thereby reducing operational capacity.
He advocated greater use of rail and barging to evacuate cargo from ports, warning that excessive dependence on road transportation could worsen congestion and delays.
According to him, alternative transportation systems would ease pressure on roads, increase terminal capacity and accelerate cargo movement.
He cited APM Terminals’ logistics centre in the Ibadan area as an example of how investment 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.
De Backker said the arrangement reduced dependence on road transportation and supported a more efficient supply chain.
He also argued that private sector participation in port development should not be viewed merely as privatisation but as an opportunity to introduce modern technology, professional expertise and improved service delivery.
He stressed the need for stronger collaboration among terminal operators, government agencies, the Nigeria Customs Service and clearing agents to address operational challenges.
Citing the deployment of cargo scanners, De Backker said cooperation with Customs had helped reduce the time required to process import containers.
He said the initiative had reduced container dwell time from 18 days to 14 days in the example presented, improving cargo availability and cutting costs associated with delays.
Earlier, Vice President Kashim Shettima, who represented President Bola Tinubu at the summit, said increased productivity was necessary to translate economic reforms into improved living standards.
Shettima, who delivered the President’s address, said the government’s ambition to achieve 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 said the Federal Government would continue efforts to remove regulatory bottlenecks, strengthen transparency and policy predictability, and improve access to finance for businesses.
Also speaking, Chairman of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group, Olaniyi Yusuf, said the theme of the summit, Growth That Works: Delivering Jobs, Productivity and Shared Prosperity, underscored the need for economic growth to produce tangible benefits for Nigerians.
Yusuf said the next phase of economic reforms should prioritise lower production costs, reliable infrastructure, productive investments and more effective public spending.
The discussions highlighted the need for Nigeria to address its infrastructure gaps and strengthen public-private partnerships to unlock its trade and economic potential.
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