How Eto, Single Window Are Transforming Nigerian Ports — NPA MD Dantsoho
How Eto, Single Window Are Transforming Nigerian Ports — NPA MD Dantsoho
By Success Okezie
The Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and President of the Port Management Association of West and Central Africa (PMAWCA), Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, has revealed how strategic digital innovations are revolutionizing Nigeria’s port system.
Speaking at the African Ports Conference (COPAF2026) in Casablanca, Morocco, Dantsoho listed the *Eto electronic truck call-up system, the National Single Window, and the Port Community System* as the backbone of the ongoing transformation in the country’s maritime sector.
He disclosed that the deployment of these cutting-edge digital platforms played a major role in driving a *24.8% surge in Nigeria’s cargo throughput in 2025*, while also boosting the international ratings of Apapa and Tin Can Island Ports on the World Bank Container Port Performance Index.
Addressing delegates at the high-level conference themed *“Smart African Port: Artificial Intelligence and Cybersecurity for Performance,”* Dantsoho emphasized that African ports must first build strong digital foundations before embracing Artificial Intelligence (AI).
According to him, AI should be purposefully applied to enhance vessel planning, landside operations, revenue assurance, security and predictive maintenance for maximum impact.
He cautioned that being a smart port is not about acquiring expensive technology, but about achieving measurable results.
“A smart port must be judged by faster vessel turnaround, reduced cargo dwell time, lower cost of doing business, system reliability and transparent revenue accounting,” he said.
Dantsoho also highlighted Nigeria’s ambitious *$1 billion Lagos Ports Modernisation Programme* as a critical investment aimed at repositioning Nigerian ports as the most efficient and competitive in Africa.
He made the remarks while sharing the stage with the Secretary-General of the Association of African Ports Authorities (AGPAOC), the Director-General of the Port of Sierra Leone, the Director-General of the Centre de Recherche et de Formation (CRF), and other global maritime leaders exploring how AI and cybersecurity can unlock greater port efficiency across Africa
Photo Caption: Managing Director of Nigerian Ports Authority, Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho (2nd right) and other industry leaders at the African Ports Conference (COPAF2026) in Casablanca, Morocco.*
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