The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has recorded importation of 103,375 units of vehicles in the first half of 2026, H1’26, about 42.5 percent rise against 72,568 units handled during the same period in 2025, H1’25. The figure was disclosed at the quarterly meeting of the Port Consultative Council (PCC) in Lagos, where the NPA presented its first-half operational performance.
The Managing Director of NPA, Dr Abubakar Dantsoho, represented by the Principal Manager, Statistics, Mrs Okenwa Igwebuike, attributed the sharp rise in vehicle traffic largely to transhipment activities at the PTML Terminal.
The development made vehicle handling one of the areas with significant growth in the authority’s half-year performance scorecard.
The authority said the comparison was aimed at tracking operational trends and measuring overall port performance during the period.
The vehicle import surge came against the backdrop of an overall positive performance across nearly every major indicator tracked by the Authority.
Vessel calls at Nigerian ports rose to 2,152 in H1’26, a 6.9 per cent increase, while gross registered earnings climbed to 96,693,108 from 79,981,595 recorded in the H1’25, representing a 20.9 per cent jump.
Total cargo throughput across the nation’s ports stood at 68,294,210 metric tons, up 12.2 per cent from 60,844,521 metric tons handled in the same period last year. Inward cargo alone accounted for 38,411,323 metric tons, against 36,338,068 metric tons in H1’25, an increase of 5.6 per cent.
Lekki Port emerged as the standout performer among the nation’s port locations, recording a 48.4 per cent increase in vessel calls and now handling nearly 40 per cent of total national cargo throughput, a growth the Authority attributed largely to operations at the Dangote Refinery, which accounted for 76 per cent of total cargo traffic recorded at the port during the review period.
Onne Port also posted strong growth, with a 26.6 per cent rise in vessel calls, supported largely by LNG exports and now accounting for 22.7 per cent of national cargo throughput.
