The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has reaffirmed its commitment to port modernisation and digital transformation, while calling for closer collaboration with the media to improve public understanding of ongoing reforms in Nigeria’s maritime sector. Ikechukwu Onyemekara, the Authority’s General Manager for Corporate and Strategic Communications, made the call during a courtesy visit from the Congress of Nigerian Maritime Media Practitioners (CONMMEP), where he defended the NPA’s digital initiatives and outlined plans to strengthen engagement with journalists covering the sector.

Much of that friction centres on the Electronic Truck Call-Up system, or ETO, introduced to bring order to truck movement around Nigeria’s ports. Onyemekara described the system as consistent with practices used at ports internationally, and suggested that opposition to it has come mainly from those who benefited from the disorder it replaced. He said congestion along port access corridors remains an active problem, and that the NPA has been working with law enforcement agencies to manage it, even though traffic enforcement isn’t formally part of the Authority’s mandate. He referenced other major ports that temporarily halt truck access during periods of severe congestion, framing it as a standard tool rather than an extreme measure.

Anticipating continued pushback as the modernisation programme rolls out, Onyemekara said the NPA is developing a structured media engagement plan that will include journalist briefings and site visits, allowing reporters to see the scale of the work directly. “We want everybody to understand what we are doing, why we are doing it and the benefits it will bring,” he said. “There will be adequate stakeholder engagement, including site visits for journalists to appreciate the scale of the modernisation project.”

He didn’t shy away from the fact that major reforms tend to draw criticism, but argued that inaction isn’t a realistic option if Nigerian ports intend to compete with leading global maritime hubs. As evidence the approach can work, he pointed to Lekki Deep Sea Port, saying its performance demonstrates how automation and modern infrastructure can lift cargo throughput and operational efficiency. Asked about port investment outside Lagos, Onyemekara said the rationale is largely commercial: cargo volume and market demand determine where capital flows, and Lagos remains dominant because it serves Nigeria’s largest market. He added that the NPA is still investing in eastern ports and encouraging private capital into deep seaport projects elsewhere, citing Badagry, Ibaka and Olokola as developments that have cleared approval and are now awaiting full-scale investor implementation.

Onyemekara closed by commending maritime journalists for what he described as balanced and factual coverage, calling the media essential to building public confidence in the reform process, and said CONMMEP members would continue to have access to information as the Authority’s modernisation agenda progresses.

Speaking earlier in the visit, CONMMEP President Udo Onyeka credited the NPA with supporting the association’s growth and Nigeria’s maritime sector more broadly. He pointed to recent global port performance rankings that recognised Apapa and Tin Can Island as evidence the Authority’s reforms and infrastructure investments are delivering measurable results, and reaffirmed CONMMEP’s commitment to continued, developmental maritime journalism alongside the NPA’s modernisation push.