The federal government has announced that upgrades to Lagos’ Apapa and Tin Can Island ports will begin in the second quarter of 2026 and are expected to be completed within 48 months.
On March 19, Nigeria and the United Kingdom signed a £746 million export finance agreement to support the redevelopment of the two key port complexes.
As part of the deal, UK Export Finance will provide loan guarantees to fund the refurbishment of Apapa and Tin Can Island ports.
British Steel will provide 120,000 tonnes of steel for the Lagos port upgrades under a £70 million contract.
The project is expected to create £236 million in contracts for British suppliers, with at least 20 percent of materials sourced from the UK.
Speaking on Channels Television, the special adviser to the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Bolaji Akinola, said that work on the project is set to begin in the next quarter.
“Now that the financing aspect of it has been resolved, and the financing deal has been signed with Citibank and UK Export Finance, I am very optimistic that within the next quarter, the work should starts,” Akinola said.
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“It is projected that once it is flagged up, the construction work is flagged up, it will be completed within 48 months.”
He noted that the project will include dredging the port channels to allow larger vessels to dock.
Currently, the maximum draft at Lagos ports is about 13 metres, but the upgrade is expected to raise it to at least 16 metres.
“That means vessels, much larger vessels, carrying over 10,000 TEUs and up to 20,000 TEUs in some instances, will be able to berth at our ports,” he added.
The chairman of the Shipping Association of Nigeria, Boma Alabi said the project brings renewed optimism for stakeholders in the maritime sector.
She highlighted that Apapa and Tin Can Island ports have not seen upgrades in over 15 years, despite Nigeria’s growing population and expanding trade volumes.
“Look at what we have been missing because we have not upgraded our infrastructure,” Alabi said.
