“It is imperative to pursue bold policy choices” —Dr. Declan Onwudiwe
I would argue that a country as large and ambitious as Nigeria cannot afford to route most of its maritime commerce through a single gateway. Therefore, Nigeria needs to build modern seaports in southeastern Nigeria, not as an act of regional favoritism but as a national economic imperative. New ports would reduce logistics costs, ease congestion in Lagos, attract investment, stimulate manufacturing, create jobs, and strengthen national integration. More importantly, they would signal a commitment to a more balanced and inclusive model of development and securitization.
Nigeria’s greatest asset is the energy, creativity, and enterprising spirit of its people. Yet sustainable national growth requires infrastructure that enables every region to contribute fully to the economy. Focusing on maritime access at a limited number of locations imposes avoidable costs on businesses, strains existing facilities, and leaves vast economic potential untapped. Expanding port infrastructure in the Southeast would help unlock that potential and serve the interests of the entire nation.
The Southeast is already home to some of Nigeria’s most dynamic commercial and industrial centers. Manufacturers in Aba and Nnewi, traders in Onitsha, and businesses across the South-South would benefit from faster, more efficient access to global markets. Lower transportation costs and shorter supply chains would enhance competitiveness, spur industrial expansion, and attract domestic and foreign investment. These benefits would extend beyond the region, reaching businesses and consumers across Nigeria.
Seaports are more than points of entry for goods. Across the world, they catalyze economic transformation. They attract manufacturers, logistics companies, financial institutions, and service industries. Around thriving ports, industrial clusters emerge, employment opportunities expand, and local economies integrate more deeply with regional and international markets. A modern seaport in southeastern Nigeria would help position the region as a major contributor to Nigeria’s economic future and create opportunities for thousands of unemployed young Nigerians.
Such development would also reinforce the principles of federalism. A strong federation is one in which every region has the infrastructure needed to contribute productively to national prosperity. When economic opportunities are widely distributed across a nation, citizens have a greater stake in the nation’s overall success. Modern seaports in the Southeast would help connect regional strengths to national ambitions, demonstrating that development is not the privilege of a few locations but a shared national project.
History offers many examples of how infrastructure strengthens national cohesion. Federal highways, railways, airports, and universities have long served as instruments of integration, connecting people and creating shared opportunities. Nigerian institutions such as the University of Nigeria, Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO), Ahmadu Bello University, the University of Lagos, and the University of Port Harcourt attract students and professionals from across the country. Likewise, the National Youth Service Corps was designed to foster interaction among Nigerians from different regions. Economic infrastructure can serve a similar purpose. A major seaport in the Southeast would attract investors, workers, transporters, and entrepreneurs from across the federation, creating new networks of cooperation and shared prosperity.
International experience reinforces this lesson. The United States relies on multiple major ports, including New York, Los Angeles, Houston, Savannah, and New Orleans, enabling different regions to participate in national growth. Germany’s ports in Hamburg and Bremen support industries nationwide, while India has developed major ports across several states to avoid excessive concentration and stimulate regional development. Successful federations recognize that economic resilience depends on multiple gateways rather than overreliance on a single corridor.
The same principle applies to Nigeria. No one would argue that a nation of more than two hundred million people should depend on a single major airport. The same logic should apply to maritime infrastructure. Expanding port capacity in the Southeast would improve efficiency, ease pressure on existing facilities, strengthen supply chains, and create new centers of growth. It would benefit manufacturers in Aba, traders in Kano, businesses in Lagos, producers in the South-South, and commercial partners throughout West and Central Africa.
Nigeria’s future will be secured by its leaders, not by concentrating opportunity in a few crowded corridors, but by unlocking the productive potential of every region. A modern seaport in the Southeast is more than a maritime project; it is a statement of confidence in Nigeria’s capacity for balanced growth, economic innovation, and national unity. Leaders who transform nations recognize opportunities before others and act with courage and vision. By championing world-class seaports in the Southeast, the President would not only ease congestion and expand trade but also leave a legacy of inclusion, prosperity, and federal equilibrium. The East’s shoreline can become a gateway not only for ships and cargo but also for a new era of shared progress, in which every Nigerian has a stake in the nation’s success.
The path forward is clear. Policymakers at the federal and state levels must move beyond feasibility studies, political calculations, and endless debate to take decisive action. The National Assembly, relevant ministries, infrastructure agencies, state governments, and private-sector partners should collaborate to prioritize, finance, and accelerate the development of modern seaport facilities in southeastern Nigeria. Every year of delay means lost jobs, lost investment, and lost opportunities for economic growth. Nigeria cannot achieve its full potential while significant regions remain disconnected from critical maritime infrastructure. It is imperative to pursue bold policy choices (such as those articulated by scholars Jimmy, Imikan, and Gbasibo in their 2026 article, Seaport Decentralization, Policy and Regional Development: Lessons for Nigeria) that strengthen the federation, expand prosperity, and position Nigeria as a leading economic power in Africa.
Let us build not only ports but also gateways to a more united, competitive, and prosperous nation. The time has come to open new gateways to opportunity and enable every region to help carry Nigeria forward.
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■ Ihekwoaba Declan Onwudiwe, Ph.D., of the School of Public Affairs, Texas Southern University, is a Professor and Director, Africa Institute for Strategic Security Studies (AISSS). He is also on the EDITORIAL BOARD of the WAP
