Harboursandport.com: Lagos, Nigeria – November 9, 2025: At the 2025 National Maritime Discourse hosted by Maritime Nigeria, stakeholders from across the maritime sector gathered to critically assess the impact of port automation on Nigeria’s trade competitiveness.
The event, themed “Port Modernization: Automation, Regulation, Administration and Competencies,” served as a platform for industry leaders to highlight both the transformative benefits and lingering challenges of digitalizing port operations.
Warredi Enisuoh, Executive Director of Operations at Tantita Security Services Ltd, who delivered a keynote presentation, outlined the multi-stage nature of automation—offshore, terminal yard, and hinterland—and emphasized that successful implementation requires strategic planning and infrastructure alignment.
“Automation inside the port will fail if evacuation systems outside remain inefficient,” Enisuoh warned, advocating for greenfield projects as the most cost-effective path to full automation.
Listing the benefits of port automation, he said some of the advantages includes: up to 50 per cent reduction in operating expenses; up to 30 per cent increase in productivity; fewer accidents and reduced labor dependency; improved ship turnaround times; enhanced space utilization and security and rapid access to operational data.
He is words, other advantages includes; lower error rates and greater precision; environmentally friendly operations; lower consumer prices and reduced noise pollution; boosted multimodal transport integration, and creation of new job opportunities in tech-driven roles.
Similarly, he stressed that some of the shortfalls and challenges are; urban encroachment around legacy ports complicates automation retrofits; limited digital skills among port workers—less than 30 per cent trained in tech; fragmented infrastructure outside ports hinders cargo evacuation; high cargo dwell times, exceeding 21 days in some terminals; black-market manipulation of systems like the ETO truck call-up platform; lack of synchronized reforms across agencies, and absence of a unified regulatory framework to oversee modernization.
Also speaking at the event, Sunday Umoren, Secretary General of the Abuja MoU, represented by Richard Owolabi, revealed that Africa loses $2.5 billion annually to port inefficiencies.
He cited Lekki Deep Seaport as a model of automation success, capable of reducing vessel turnaround time by 65 per cent and operational costs by 25 per cent.
Oluwasegun Musa, Chairman of Widescope International Group, proposed a four-pillar strategy for reform: adopting the Landlord Port Model, implementing the National Single Window, automating greenfield ports, and launching a national skills development program.
Also speaking at the event, Rollens Macfoy, President of Women in Maritime, WIMA Nigeria, highlighted recent growth in port activity but questioned whether systems like ETO are fulfilling their intended role.
She called for improved multimodal linkages and regulatory reforms, including passage of the 2023 Nigerian Shipping and Port Economic Regulatory Agency Bill.
“Operational efficiency hinges on strategic decision-making, collaboration, and adaptability,” Macfoy stated.
The event concluded with a call for the Federal Government to recommit to port modernization, ensuring that automation is not just a technological upgrade but a holistic transformation of Nigeria’s maritime ecosystem.
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