The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), once a thriving maritime hub in Africa, is reportedly facing a systemic collapse under the leadership of Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, according to sources cited by Leaders.ng. Insiders alleged that what began as bureaucratic inefficiency has devolved into a massive corruption ring bleeding the nation’s economy.
Described by sources as a “fully monetized extortion enterprise,” the NPA is allegedly plagued by operational failures masked to cover widespread looting. Port inefficiency has hit alarming levels, with ships waiting up to 21 days to berth and cargo dwell times exceeding 45 days.
Haulage costs at Apapa have surged to N900,000 per container up from N250,000 while cargo volumes have reportedly declined by 50%. At the heart of the alleged mismanagement is a monthly N160 million “tribute system” purportedly remitted to three senior officials, siphoned from port operational budgets.
The Executive Director of Finance, believed to act as a de facto CEO, is accused of paralyzing administrative functions by hoarding over 1,000 official files some for over a year and disregarding directives from the Managing Director.
Allegations of contract fraud further taint the agency. An emergency $25 million dredging contract for Warri Port was reportedly awarded without Federal Executive Council approval. Similarly, contractors certified for collecting terminal dues and royalties had their agreements revoked after allegedly refusing to pay bribes.
Morale among NPA staff is said to be at an all-time low, with basic supplies like diesel, printer toner, and medical essentials lacking. Offices reportedly operate without air conditioning, and staff welfare has deteriorated.
Extravagant spending by NPA officials abroad also features in the allegations. The agency’s London office has reportedly become a personal spending outlet, with luxury expenditures such as:
- £3,600 on iPhones (October 2024)
- £2,000 at IKEA (April 2025)
- £60,000 monthly “entertainment” budget
- £50,000 monthly rent for a luxury apartment
All allegedly charged to the NPA’s Treasury Single Account, which receives over £500,000 monthly, despite worsening local operations.
Corruption has also reportedly intensified along port corridors, with illegal checkpoints and trucker extortion increasing. Nigeria’s ports are now blacklisted by the German Shipping Council and labeled “high-risk” by global insurers.
Dr. Dantsoho is accused of prioritizing political ambitions in Taraba over managing the Authority and of pushing through a supplementary budget exceeding the 2024 allocation without Ministry of Finance approval. This includes:
- N90 billion for Lekki tugboats
- N40 billion for other ports
- N46 billion for questionable dredging contracts
- N15 billion for unverified VTS upgrades
Nigeria has reportedly dropped 27 places on the World Bank’s Logistics Performance Index under the current leadership, with clearance times worse than those in conflict zones like Yemen.
Additionally, sources said Dantsoho unilaterally restructured the NPA organogram without Head of Service clearance, inflating senior positions and worsening administrative bottlenecks.
“This is not just corruption it’s economic sabotage,” a source warned, adding that the continued existence of this “cabal” costs Nigeria an estimated $18 million daily in lost trade.
Efforts to reach the NPA, the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, and top directors for comment were unsuccessful at the time of filing this report.
