Nigeria’s growing exposure to drug trafficking through its seaports is threatening the country’s trade reputation, economic competitiveness, and investment prospects, the Sea Empowerment and Research Center (SEREC) has warned.
In its July 2026 policy bulletin released on Monday, SEREC said the use of Nigerian ports as transit routes for narcotics could lead to stricter inspections by destination countries. This, it noted, may result in cargo delays, higher logistics costs, and disruptions to legitimate trade.
The group warned that continued exploitation of Nigeria’s maritime gateways by international drug syndicates could weaken confidence in the port system and raise the country’s global maritime risk profile.
“Persistent attempts to use Nigerian ports for narcotics could undermine trade reputation, increase cargo delays, discourage investment, and elevate Nigeria’s risk profile,” the report stated.
Beyond trade concerns, SEREC said maritime drug trafficking fuels wider transnational crimes such as money laundering, corruption, and illicit financial flows, posing risks to national security and economic stability.
To address the problem, the organization urged the Federal Government to shift from a seizure-based approach to intelligence-led prevention. It recommended deploying Artificial Intelligence for cargo profiling, expanding non-intrusive scanning systems, and strengthening container tracking.
SEREC also called for closer collaboration among key agencies, including the Nigeria Customs Service, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Nigerian Ports Authority, and Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency.
The report further emphasized the need to fully implement the National Single Window platform to improve cargo monitoring, information sharing, and risk management.
SEREC stressed that stronger technology use and inter-agency coordination are critical to preventing criminal networks from exploiting Nigerian ports while ensuring efficient trade flow.
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