By Reno Omokri
On Friday, October 24, 2025, Peter Obi released a social media post complaining that the Federal Government was concentrating its infrastructural investments in Lagos, and blamed this for the poverty experienced by certain other states.
Amongst other things, Peter Obi said:
“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. 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.”
Mr. Peter Obi’s argument that the reason some states are not as prosperous as Lagos State is because the Federal Government did not give those states a port like they did to Lagos, or that where there is a port, they are not well funded, is now as dead as a Dodo, because it is a fallacy.
And why is it fallacious? Well, for two reasons.
The first is that the Federal Government does not own the largest port in Lagos. The Lagos State Government, through the Lekki Worldwide Investments Limited, and its private sector partners, built the Lekki Deep Sea Port.
Additionally, the Federal Government spends more money maintaining ports outside Lagos than in Lagos State.
For example, in 2025, according to the Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority, Dr Abubakar Dantsoho, most of their capital budget of ₦778.46 billion will be allocated to three ports: Calabar, Warri, and Burutu Ports. Those interested in the facts, can read it here https://www.vanguardngr.com/2025/06/npa-targets-₦1-28-trillion-revenue-in-2025-unveils-bold-port-reforms/amp/
Lagos ports are more funded than any other ports because of the Lagos State Government, not the Federal Government. The Lekki Free Zone and port, now worth $25 billion, is the brainchild of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu when he was the Governor of Lagos.
In fact, Onne Port alone is responsible for 65% of Nigeria’s maritime export.
Also, Calabar Port is open and operational, and nothing stops anyone from importing and exporting via that harbour.
Warri Port is also operational. I am an Itsekiri from Warri; therefore, I have firsthand knowledge of this. The significant challenge for Warri Port is its shallow draft, which means that ships over a certain weight cannot dock there or will be stranded.
Regarding Onitsha, the Southeast is completely landlocked and, as such, a region with no access to the sea cannot have a seaport. However, to give Ndi’Igbo a sense of belonging, the Federal Government dredged the River Niger and built the Onitsha River Port, which remains idle to this day due to a lack of patronage and regional issues.
The Onitsha River Port has been commissioned three times. It was first commissioned by President Shehu Shagari in 1983 and has gulped over $100 million in Federal Government funds.
And then, the second reason the argument is dead on arrival is due to Alhaji Aliko Dangote.
I have recently returned from touring the Dangote Refinery and spending quality time with Alhaji Aliko Dangote.
One of the things that struck me is that Alhaji Dangote, a private individual, is in the process of building his own private deep-sea port, which, upon completion, will be the largest deep-sea port in Nigeria.
Now, please do not get it wrong; the fact that Alhaji Dangote is in the process of building what would be Nigeria’s largest deep-sea port when finished is commendable. However, Dangote has already completed his own private port terminal, where, daily, multiple ships load fertiliser and petrochemicals destined for Europe, America, and Asia.
Yes. You read me right. He has already built a private port terminal. I was there. I shot a video there, where a ship was loading cargo bound for Houston, Texas. It is still on all my social media profiles.
The Dangote Refinery’s Single Point Mooring system port has a present capacity to handle 600 ships annually.
The Dangote deep-sea port will be in addition to this smaller port.
Now, ask yourself this question: If Lagos State can build its own port and free trade zone without the financial backing of the Federal Government, and Aliko Dangote, a private individual is building a deep sea port, again without the Federal Government, and Ondo State is also in advanced stages of building its own deep sea port (of which Akwa-Ibom is also making progress with the Ibom Deep Sea Port), then on what basis do you still blame Nigeria or the Federal Government for the backwardness of your state?
Bear in mind that Cross River State also plans to build the $2 billion Bakassi Deep Seaport, independent of the Federal Government.
Your state is backward, not because of the Federal Government, but because of bad leadership.
For example, consider Anambra State under Peter Obi. Peter Obi had enough state funds to build a beer brewery for Anambra. He also had funds to buy 400 vehicles for Anambra Igwes (I never knew Anambra had that many Igwes!).
Peter Obi also deposited hundreds of millions of dollars of Anambra State Government funds in a bank where he had personal interests, meaning he benefited from the deposit.
Yet, he had no money to build either a port for Anambra or a nursery, primary, or secondary school, or a university.
That bad leadership is why states like Anambra are behind states like Lagos. It has little to do with port!
•Opinions, positions or thoughts expressed here are personal and strictly of the writer/author and do not represent the views of The Daily Crucible.
