Terminal Operator Records Surge In Exports at Apapa Port, The Highest In 20 Years

• A terminal operator at Apapa port has reported its highest-ever export volume for one month in April 2025
• This is a vast improvement from he figure reported a year earlier, and the terminal is looking to set a new record in 2025
• This corroborates the increase in Nigeria's non-oil exports, with cocoa and fertilisers at the top of the list

Legit.ng journalist Ruth Okwumbu-Imafidon has over a decade of experience in business reporting across digital and mainstream media.

The APM Terminals Apapa has announced that it recorded a surge in the monthly export cargoes in April 2025.

In April 2025, APM Terminals Apapa handled 8,687 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of export cargo, representing a 30% increase from the 6,606 TEUs recorded in April 2024.

A statement released by the APM terminal on Sunday, May 11, 2025, confirmed that this is the highest figure recorded in a single month since its inception in 2006.

Export volumes have shown consistent growth in recent years, increasing from 53,807 TEUs in 2022 to 70,432 TEUs in 2023, and reaching 77,631 TEUs in 2024.

Several new items have been added to Nigeria's export list in recent times, including the new Obodo blend of the sweet crude, exported by Mike Adenuga's Conoil Producing.

How increasing exports affect Nigeria

APM Terminals manager, Steen Knudsen, emphasised that the consistent growth in exports has positively impacted Nigeria’s trade balance.

Knudsen highlighted that the federal government’s focus on boosting exports has led to significant improvements at the terminal, including the launch of a new rail service in February 2025 to streamline the movement of goods to Apapa port.

He added that the operator has successfully reduced the time exports spend in the terminal by expanding yard capacity and introducing dedicated truck lanes to streamline the process and speed up ship departure.

Knudsen stated that Nigerian shippers get to benefit when they can leave the ports fully loaded with exports as against leaving empty. This significantly improves the overall cost of shipment, the PUNCH reports.

Knudsen acknowledged the support from the Nigerian Ports Authority, Nigerian Railway Corporation, and other stakeholders, which has enabled APM Terminals Apapa to enhance its services.

Dangote set to export more polypropylene

Recall that Dangote Packaging Limited has disclosed plans to increase its polypropylene exports into the African market.

The company’s board chairman, Robert Ade-Odiachi, stated this at a recent board meeting.

He highlighted the importance of the move, saying the company is raising its production from 36 million to 56 million polypropylene bags per month.

Nigeria's non-oil exports increase

Earlier, Legit.g reported that Nigeria's non-oil exports increased to $1.7 billion, with its growth outpacing oil exports.

The Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) released the list of top non-oil exports from January to March 2025, showing that several products remained on the list, while a few others joined in.

Legit.ng reported that cocoa had consolidated its position as Nigeria's top non-oil export, with almost half of the total non-oil exports originating from cocoa and related products.

Proofreading by James Ojo, copy editor at Legit.ng.

Source: Legit.ng