Business
NPA Tackles Port Congestion With APM Terminals, Shipping Lines
…Harps On Enhanced Coordination Among Parties To Address Challenges
Following the public outcry over the delay in evacuation of empty containers leading to yard congestion at the APM Terminals, Apapa, Lagos, the Nigerian Ports’ Authority, NPA, recently, convened a crucial meeting comprising of the major shipping lines and the APM Terminals, Apapa to discuss the challenges and chart a way forward.
The General Manager, Corporate and Strategic Communications, NPA, Mr. Ikechukwu Onyemekara who disclosed this to newsmen in Lagos said that the meeting was held on Wednesday, June 4, 2025, at the instance of the Port Manager, Lagos Port Complex, Adebowale Lawal.
He said the meeting had in attendance major shipping lines including: Maersk Line, Hapag Lloyd, Pacific International Lines, PIL, CMA CGM, COSCO shipping and APM Terminals , (APMT).
According to Onyemekara,”the NPA requested all the shipping lines to submit an updated list of their holding bays, including locations and capacity, the Port Management emphasized the need to be involved in the examination of those holding bays so as to keep abreast of the potential operational challenges.”
On the terminal capacity at the APM Terminals, Onyemekara noted the shipping lines and the Management of APMT agreed to enhance the process of communicating available free pools to each shipping line in order to guide their container movement.
He stated that the shipping lines also blamed the significant congestion during the period under review on a simultaneous gate closure to all the shipping lines by the management of APMT.
He however said that the APMT management insisted that the terminal reached its full capacity due to increased import and export volume arguing that there was a notable delay in the evacuation of both imports and exports by the shipping lines.
Speaking on the resolutions reached at the meeting, the NPA spokesman observed that it was resolved that the APMT should regularly communicate yard stock levels to the shipping lines to improve planning and coordination.
“It was also resolved that the notification period prior to terminal gate closure should be revised as follows: five (5) days initial notice in advance; three (3) days reminder before closure and one day (1) final notice before closure.
“While it was further resolved that APMT was to engage off dock terminals by moving import containers to off dock terminals in order to create more space within the terminal, the Port Management should actively participate in the inspection and assessment of holding bays to better understand and manage capacity and operational challenges.
“While all parties acknowledged their respective responsibilities, it was agreed that better communication, timely notification and strategic use of holding bays and bonded terminals were critical to alleviating pressure on terminal capacity”, he submitted.
He thereafter quoted the Port Manager, Lagos Port Complex, Adebowale Lawal as emphasizing the urgent need for enhanced coordination among terminal operators, shipping lines and the port management to address the growing challenges related to terminal congestion, especially due to the accumulation of empty containers.
Recall that there have been insinuations suggesting that APM Terminals Apapa is not receiving empty containers, allegedly contributing to yard congestion. However, the terminal operator has clarified that the management of empty container evacuation into the terminal – and subsequent shipment onto vessels – is the exclusive responsibility of shipping lines, which own and control all containers.
In a statement recently, APM Terminals Apapa Terminal Manager, Steen Knudsen, said due to a sharp and sustained surge in import cargo volumes over recent weeks, shipping lines have had to prioritize discharging incoming laden containers over evacuating empties. This operational shift has resulted in a growing inventory of empty containers within the terminal, significantly limiting yard space.
“As a result of this accumulation, APM Terminals Apapa has had to temporarily restrict the reception of additional empty containers until the existing stock is cleared by the shipping lines”, Knudsen said.
Independent.ng
Business
JUST IN: Dangote Confirms N200 Petrol Price Reductions Nationwide; New Price Emerges
Dangote Petroleum Refinery & Petrochemicals has announced another reduction in the ex-depot price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), marking its fourth price cut within a month as the company said it continues to pass lower production costs to consumers despite still processing crude oil purchased at significantly higher international prices.
The latest N50 per litre reduction brings the cumulative decrease in the refinery’s PMS ex depot price to N200 per litre since May 30, 2026, reducing the gantry price to 1, 075. Over the same period, the refinery has reduced the ex-depot price of Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) by N300 per litre and Jet A1 aviation fuel by N520 per litre.
The company said the successive reductions demonstrate its commitment to ensuring Nigerians benefit from favourable market developments while maintaining the long-term sustainability of domestic refining operations.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the Dangote Refinery explained that petroleum product pricing cannot mirror daily movements in international crude oil markets because crude is purchased weeks, and sometimes months, before it is processed. According to the refinery, the petroleum products currently being supplied to the market are being produced from crude inventories acquired during periods of substantially higher prices.
It disclosed that the average landed cost of crude processed stood at approximately US$124.80 per barrel in May and US$95.25 per barrel in June, compared with the current international benchmark of about US$71.01 per barrel.
The refinery also clarified that its crude procurement costs are not based solely on the headline ICE Brent benchmark commonly quoted in the media.
Rather, crude is purchased on a Dated Brent basis together with applicable market premiums, freight and logistics costs, resulting in actual feedstock costs that differ materially from benchmark prices.
Despite the sharp increase in crude acquisition costs during the period, Dangote Refinery said it deliberately refrained from transferring the full impact to consumers, choosing instead to absorb a significant portion of the additional costs in order to support market stability and cushion Nigerians from the volatility in global energy markets.
The company noted that this pricing approach has helped to keep petroleum product prices in Nigeria below those prevailing in neighbouring countries, even after accounting for applicable taxes. It added that as lower priced crude cargoes progressively enter its production cycle, the refinery has begun systematically passing the benefits to the market through phased price reductions.
“Today’s N50 per litre reduction is the fourth price cut in one month, bringing cumulative reductions to above N200 per litre on PMS. This approach ensures that pricing decisions are anchored on actual production economics and inventory costs rather than short term fluctuations in international oil markets,” it said. “Nigeria today benefits from the stabilising role of domestic refining capacity. The Dangote Petroleum Refinery currently supplies volumes sufficient to meet national demand, helping to strengthen energy security, eliminate dependence on imports, conserve foreign exchange and provide greater price stability for consumers and businesses”.
The company expressed confidence that if international crude prices remain favourable and lower cost feedstock continues to replace higher priced inventories, Nigerians should expect further moderation in petroleum product prices.
Dangote Petroleum Refinery reiterated its commitment to supplying high quality, internationally certified petroleum products at competitive prices while supporting Nigeria’s economic growth and the long-term development of the country’s downstream petroleum sector.
Business
NNPC Announces Petrol Price; List of 10 States With Lowest Rates Emerge
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) has reduced petrol price across its filling stations nationwide, with many now selling below N1,200.
Data obtained by Legit showed that NNPC’s retail stations across the country are selling between N1,170 and N1,395 per litre, depending on their location
Lagos and Ogun recorded the lowest pump price at N1,170 per litre from N1,210, while the price list shows that Yobe recorded the highest pump price at N1,395 per litre.
Other states with high petrol prices include Bauchi (N1,385), Sokoto (N1,378), Plateau (N1,375), and Benue and Zamfara (N1,370 each).
Also, Kaduna (N1,365), Niger (N1,364), Kogi (N1,360), Adamawa (N1,355), and Gombe (N1,345) are among the northern states with high petrol prices. Abuja (N1,210), Osun (N1,220), Kano (N1,222), Ondo and Rivers (N1,230 each), and several southern states, including Abia, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bayelsa, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Ekiti, Enugu, Imo, and Jigawa, where NNPC retail stations are located, sell petrol for N1,235 per litre at the time of reporting
Top 10 states with the lowest NNPC petrol prices
Lagos – N1,125
Ogun – N1,170
Abuja – N1,210
Osun – N1,220
Kano – N1,222
Ondo – N1,230
Rivers – N1,230
Abia – N1,235
Akwa Ibom – N1,235
Anambra – N1,235
Top 10 states with the highest NNPC petrol prices
Yobe – N1,395
Bauchi – N1,385
Sokoto – N1,378
Plateau – N1,375
Katsina – N1,377
Benue – N1,370
Zamfara – N1,370
Kaduna – N1,365
Niger – N1,364
Kogi – N1,360
Business
BREAKING: Meet Emmanuel Nnorom, Incoming UBA Chairman
On Monday, July 6, 2026, the United Bank for Africa (UBA) announced that billionaire investor Tony Elumelu is set to retire as Group Chairman after 12 years.
The Group also revealed the executive chosen to inherit one of Africa’s most influential banking boardrooms: Emmanuel N. Nnorom.
The leadership transition takes effect on August 21, subject to regulatory processes, marking the end of Elumelu’s tenure under the Central Bank of Nigeria’s corporate governance limits for non-executive directors.
For Nnorom, the appointment caps more than four decades in banking, finance, auditing and corporate leadership, much of it spent helping shape institutions that have become household names in Nigeria’s financial sector.
Nnorom’s career spans more than four decades across banking, finance, auditing and corporate leadership.
Born on April 7, 1958, he studied accounting and related services at Templeton College, Oxford University, completing the programme in 1996 before embarking on a series of senior management roles that established him as one of Nigeria’s most experienced banking executives.
He joined Diamond Bank Plc in January 1996 as General Manager for Operations and Branch Businesses, overseeing branch operations until May 1998. He later held brief executive roles as Senior Consultant at Equitorial Trust Bank between August and October 1998 before becoming Executive Director of Operations at Liberty Merchant Bank from November 1998 to November 1999.
His career trajectory
In January 2001, Nnorom was appointed General Manager for Finance and Planning at NUB International Bank, a position he held until April 2004. He subsequently moved to Standard Trust Bank as General Manager for Operations and Control, remaining there until July 2005 before the bank’s merger with United Bank for Africa.
His career accelerated at UBA, where he spent more than eight years rising through the executive ranks.
Beginning as General Manager for External Reporting in August 2005, he was promoted to Group Chief Operating Officer in April 2008, followed by appointments as Executive Director for Group Office in April 2009, Executive Director for Finance in July 2010 and Executive Director for Risk in March 2012.
In January 2013, he was named Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of UBA Africa, overseeing the lender’s operations across the continent during a period of rapid regional expansion.
Nnorom joined Heirs Holdings in January 2014 as President and Chief Operating Officer, helping oversee the investment company’s growing portfolio across financial services, energy, healthcare, hospitality and infrastructure.
Eight months later, in September 2014, he was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of Transnational Corporation of Nigeria Plc (Transcorp), where he led the diversified conglomerate’s businesses spanning power generation, hospitality, agribusiness and energy.
During his tenure, Transcorp expanded its strategic investments, including interests in the Ughelli Power Plant, Transcorp Hotels and Teragro Commodities, while strengthening its position as one of Nigeria’s largest listed conglomerates with roughly 300,000 shareholders.
He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) and an honorary member of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN).
-
Uncategorized2 days agoBREAKING: Vice President, Seven Others Escape Helicopter Crash in Zambia
-
Tech2 days agoPresidency Announces Arrest of Eight Oyo Kidnappers, Others Killed
-
Politics1 day agoBREAKING: Tinubu Picks 2027 Running Mate
-
Tech2 days agoBreaking: All Kidnapped Oyo Schoolchildren, Teachers Rescued
-
Tech1 day agoBREAKING: Tinubu Finally Names Those Behind Oyo Kidnap
-
Politics1 day agoBREAKING: PDP Picks Vice Presidential Candidate
-
Foreign15 hours agoUS Releases List, Photos of 5 Nigerians Popular Alleged Yahoo Boys Facing Deportation
-
Tech15 hours agoSomalia–Sudan Axis: Alleged Saudi Support Through Mercenaries and Weapons
