Abuja, Nigeria (October 25, 2025) – The Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, has called on the Federal Government to spread Nigeria’s seaport development beyond Lagos, warning that continued concentration in a single city poses economic, security, and infrastructural challenges to the nation.

In a statement shared on his official X (formerly Twitter) handle titled “The Imperative of Diversifying Port Development in Nigeria,” Obi reacted to the Federal Government’s recent approval of ₦1.5 trillion ($1 billion) for the modernisation of Apapa and Tin Can Island Ports—both located in Lagos.

While commending the initiative, Obi said such investment must be guided by accountability, transparency, and equity, noting that the overconcentration of port infrastructure in Lagos undermines the development potential of other regions.

> “Nigeria’s infrastructure investment remains excessively concentrated in Lagos, often at the expense of other strategic ports such as Warri, Port Harcourt, Calabar, and Onne,” Obi stated. “If fully developed, these ports could enhance productivity, drive trade, create jobs, and open new economic corridors that would lift millions out of poverty across the federation.”

The former Anambra State governor drew comparisons with other nations, highlighting how countries that decentralise port infrastructure reap significant economic benefits.