NPA clinches Champion Newspapers’ 2025 Nigeria’s Outstanding Agency Award
By Maureen Aguta
The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has been honoured with the Outstanding Agency of the Year Award 2025 by Champion Newspapers in recognition of the Authority’s contributions to trade facilitation and maritime sector development.
The award was presented to the Managing Director of the NPA, Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, at the newspaper’s 2025 Awards Ceremony held in Lagos.
Speaking at the event, Dantsoho—represented by the General Manager, Corporate and Strategic Communications, Ikechukwu Onyemekara—described the honour as a validation of the Authority’s ongoing reforms and strategic initiatives aimed at transforming Nigeria into Africa’s leading maritime logistics hub.
According to him, the recognition reflects the collective efforts of the NPA workforce and the agency’s commitment to delivering efficient and sustainable port services.
He noted that the Authority has been implementing several smart initiatives aligned with its vision of positioning Nigeria as the Maritime Logistics Hub for Sustainable Port Services in Africa.
Onyemekara also acknowledged the support of the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, describing his policy guidance as instrumental to the agency’s recent achievements.
Among the milestones highlighted was the improvement in port efficiency, which has supported Nigeria’s expanding export performance and contributed to the country recording a year-on-year trade surplus of ₦7.5 trillion and ₦6.7 trillion in the second and third quarters of 2025 respectively, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics and the Nigerian Economic Summit Group.
The Authority also played a role in implementing the policy of Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration requiring crude oil and petroleum product sales in naira, a move officials say has helped conserve foreign exchange, improve energy security and strengthen Nigeria’s trade balance.
Further achievements include Nigeria’s completed membership of the International Port Community Systems Association, which is expected to support the rollout of the National Single Window project designed to streamline trade documentation and cargo clearance.
In addition, the NPA has provided technical support that contributed to rising transshipment volumes at the Lekki Deep Sea Port, helping Nigeria regain cargo traffic previously diverted to rival regional ports while also serving landlocked neighbouring countries.
The Authority’s growing regional influence was also underscored by the election of a Nigerian agency as President of the Port Management Association of West and Central Africa for the first time since the organisation’s establishment in 1972.
Dantsoho currently also leads the Port Authority Police Committee, a development officials say has strengthened Nigeria’s diplomatic profile in maritime governance and supported the country’s re-admission into Category C of the International Maritime Organisation Council.
Presenting the award, Champion Newspapers said the honour recognises the NPA’s role as a critical trade facilitation platform driving national economic growth through the effective utilisation of Nigeria’s maritime resources.