Nigeria Missing from 2025 Global Top 100 Seaports as Experts Link Decline to Infrastructure Deficits and Logistical Bottlenecks

…as Togo’s Lomé Port Makes List

Nigeria’s seaports have failed to make the 2025 global Top 100 port rankings, according to the latest Lloyd’s List released by Lloyd’s Register, marking another year of absence for Africa’s most populous nation in the international maritime performance index.

The new ranking lists only four African ports: Morocco’s Port of Tanger Med, Egypt’s Port Said and Alexandria, and Togo’s Lomé Port, among the world’s leading maritime hubs.

According to the report, Morocco’s Tanger Med maintained its status as the continent’s top-performing port, ranking 17th globally after handling over 10.2 million TEUs in 2024, representing an 18.9 percent surge that cements its position as Africa’s primary transshipment gateway.

Egypt’s Port Said followed in 53rd position, processing 3.9 million TEUs, though it recorded a marginal decline due to persistent disruptions in the Red Sea. Alexandria Port, on the other hand, showed renewed growth momentum, handling 2.2 million TEUs and posting one of the region’s fastest throughput gains.

Togo’s Lomé Port rounded off Africa’s representation in the top 100, ranking 92nd globally with over 2 million TEUs, sustaining its rising dominance across West Africa’s shipping corridors.

Maritime experts have expressed concern over Nigeria’s continued exclusion, attributing the country’s poor showing to infrastructure decay, inefficient port logistics, and inadequate investment in modernization.

They emphasized that enhanced investment in port infrastructure, automation, and connectivity is critical if African nations, particularly Nigeria hope to improve their competitiveness in global maritime trade.

Despite Africa’s growing trade volumes, many of its ports still suffer from limited automation, ageing facilities, and slow cargo clearance procedures that undermine efficiency and increase operational costs.

The report reveals that while select terminals have made notable improvements, the continent’s broader maritime landscape remains constrained by bottlenecks that stifle container-handling capacity and discourage foreign investment.

Lloyd’s List’s assessment indicates that global container traffic rebounded strongly in 2024, with worldwide throughput reaching 743.6 million TEUs, marking an 8.1 percent increase from the previous year.

This surge signals a steady recovery from years of suppressed activity triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic and geopolitical tensions.

Asia continues to dominate global trade, with Chinese ports accounting for over 40 percent of total container throughput. Meanwhile, North America and Europe also recorded steady gains, supported by shifting supply chains, strong consumer spending, and strategic inventory replenishment.

Despite positive global trends, African ports continue to face severe global and regional disruptions. The ongoing security crisis in the Red Sea has rerouted major shipping lines away from key African gateways, leading to delays, increased insurance costs, and reduced vessel calls at Eastern and Northern African ports.

In West Africa, major Western shipping carriers have scaled back their operations due to lower freight demand, capacity constraints, and persistent inefficiencies.

At the structural level, limited port automation, poor rail connectivity, and inadequate cargo-handling systems continue to dampen the continent’s competitiveness. Many African economies remain import-dependent, reducing the incentive for large-scale transshipment investments.

A maritime analyst, Emmanuel Onyema, noted that Nigeria’s exclusion reflects deep-rooted operational weaknesses. According to him, ageing berths, inadequate dredging, limited container yards, and insufficient terminal space have led to long vessel queues and high dwell times, discouraging global carriers.

Onyema also highlighted poor hinterland connectivity, citing weak and unreliable road and rail links that hinder smooth cargo evacuation from ports to industrial and consumption centers.

“The Lekki Deep Sea Port example underscores that a new port alone won’t work without rail and road links. Also, fragmented documentation and manual processes create delays; where single-window automation is missing or partial, turnaround is slower.

“Conversely, where automation has been implemented, it has cut processing time dramatically,” Onyema stated.

Similarly, maritime analyst Chinedu Ogbonna stressed that while West Africa remains a large trade market, port inefficiencies make Nigerian ports unattractive to global shippers and investors.

“Infrastructure creates capacity, automation converts capacity to reliable performance, and connectivity ensures goods flow to and from the ports efficiently. Without all three, new docks or cranes alone will not restore Nigeria’s competitiveness or stop its absence from regional maritime value chains,” Ogbonna explained.

He added that the problem is not the absence of trade demand but rather the inefficiencies and lack of coordination that continue to plague Nigerian ports, making them less appealing compared to regional competitors.

Nigeria’s persistent absence from the global Top 100 seaport ranking underscores the urgent need for strategic reforms, massive infrastructure investment, and digital transformation across its maritime sector. Without decisive action to modernize port operations and strengthen connectivity, experts warn that the country risks being further sidelined in the rapidly evolving global shipping network.