Nigeria's Lagos ports rank among world's 20 most improved

Two of Nigeria's busiest seaports have been listed among the world's 20 most improved ports, according to the World Bank's Container Port Performance Index for 2025. The Tin Can Island Port Complex and Apapa Port Complex, both in Lagos, received the distinction in a report released this month, reflecting significant gains in operational efficiency and vessel turnaround times over a five-year period.

The global index measures port performance primarily based on the time vessels spend in port, providing a benchmark for comparing operational efficiency worldwide. Data from the report shows that the Tin Can Island Port's CPPI score improved by 42 points, rising from negative 68 in 2020 to negative 26 in 2025. The Apapa Port's score gained 35 points over the same period, rising from negative 61 to also reach negative 26. This placed Tin Can Island 10th and Apapa 12th globally in the improvement category, ahead of ports in France, Turkey, and India.

The ranking arrives amid a broader global trend of slightly declining average port performance in 2025, attributed by the report to geopolitical instability, shipping disruptions, extreme weather, and market volatility. Nigeria's progress,...