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Dutch shipping giant plans $600m expansion in Nigeria’s ports amid Tinubu reform push - BUSINESS INSIDER
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Nigeria could attract about $600 million in fresh investment into its maritime sector after Dutch shipping and logistics operator APM Terminals signalled plans to expand its operations in the country.
A view of the port: Panama Ports Company, affiliated with CK Hutchison, initiated arbitration proceedings against Maersk on April 9, 2026, over the transfer of port operations in Panama. [Photo by Daniel A. Gonzalez/Anadolu via Getty Images]
- APM Terminals plans to invest $600 million in Nigeria’s maritime sector, targeting port modernisation and logistics upgrades.
- The proposed investment was announced during talks between President Bola Tinubu and company executives in Kigali.
- Nigeria’s government says reforms are aimed at improving cargo processing, trade efficiency, and investor confidence.
- The development highlights growing foreign interest in Africa’s largest economy despite ongoing infrastructure challenges.
The proposed investment was disclosed during a meeting between President Bola Tinubu and APM Terminals’ Africa-Europe Regional President, Igor van den Essen, on the sidelines of the Africa CEO Forum in Kigali.
According to a statement issued by presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga, the investment will focus on the modernisation of Apapa Port, upgrades to logistics infrastructure, and broader long-term private-sector participation in Nigeria’s maritime industry.
Tinubu said Nigeria was pursuing reforms to improve competitiveness and remove long-standing bottlenecks across its ports and trade systems.
“We are determined to move beyond outdated systems,” the president said, stressing the need for faster cargo processing, improved efficiency, and wider adoption of advanced port technology.
Van den Essen said Nigeria remained a key market for the company’s African operations, citing more than two decades of involvement in the country’s port sector.
He added that the company planned to support the development of “world-class terminal infrastructure” and technology-driven port operations.
He also welcomed Nigeria’s National Single Window initiative, which is designed to streamline trade documentation and customs procedures, reducing cargo clearance delays.
