Dangote Refinery cargo dominates Nigerian port traffic
Refinery-linked shipments accounted for 30.4% of Nigeria’s total port throughput in the first half of 2026.
Cargo linked to the Dangote Refinery represented 30.4% of Nigeria’s total port throughput between January and June 2026. Nigerian ports handled 68.29 million metric tons of cargo during this period. Lekki port, which began operations as Nigeria’s first deep-sea port, processed 27.32 million metric tons, about 40% of the national total.
Operations at the Dangote Refinery accounted for 76% of Lekki’s throughput, with refinery-linked cargo totalling approximately 20.76 million metric tons. This single industrial complex significantly influences the port’s performance. Port calls at Lekki rose by 48.4% in the first half of 2026, while average vessel turnaround time increased from 2.1 to 3.3 days.
The Nigerian Ports Authority has not disclosed the proportion of its revenue attributable to Dangote-related cargo. Meanwhile, container traffic rose by 10.3% to approximately 815,000 TEUs in the first half of 2026. Outbound cargo shipments grew by 23.5% to about 29.2 million metric tons.
Why it mattersDangote Refinery's significant port activity impacts Nigeria's maritime services and cargo volumes.