• Nigeria secured £746 million ($990.4 million) in UK-backed financing to upgrade Apapa and Tin Can Island ports.

• The project combines infrastructure expansion and digitalization to ease congestion and improve efficiency.

• Authorities plan to launch a National Single Window platform by end-March to streamline port procedures.

Nigeria secured £746 million (about $990.4 million) in financing from the United Kingdom to modernize the ports of Apapa and Tin Can Island.

Local media attributed the announcement to Adegboyega Oyetola. Authorities plan to sign the agreement in London during the state visit of Bola Tinubu scheduled for March 18–19, 2026.

The financing is backed by UK Export Finance. It supports a Nigerian port modernization program valued at nearly $1 billion, which has faced implementation delays. The project includes both infrastructure expansion and the digitalization of procedures. Authorities aim to reduce logistical pressure on ports that handle the majority of the country’s supply flows.

Currently, chronic congestion and heavy reliance on road transport continue to weaken port performance. As a result, these constraints divert part of the traffic to competing regional hubs such as Cotonou, Lomé, and Tema.

As part of the digital reform component, Nigerian authorities recently announced the launch of the National Single Window (NSW) platform by the end of March. This platform will dematerialize key procedures, including the processing of import permits, the electronic submission of cargo manifests, and the centralization of risk management.

This article was initially published in French by Henoc Dossa

Adapted in English by Ange J.A de Berry Quenum