Documents have been obtained, revealing that the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) is pushing to cancel legally awarded Cargo Survey (CS) contracts that were approved in 2019 for a 10-year duration.
The contracts, which have already run for over five years, are due to expire in 2029.
In a recent letter issued in September 2025, Abubakar Dantsoho, Managing Director of the NPA, gave a flimsy justification for the cancellation.
He claimed that, “operational needs and efficiency” required the reprocurement of the services, despite no evidence that the firms had defaulted.
Industry insiders say the CS companies have been responsible for improved revenue for the authority.
They have digitised their operations, leading to better monitoring, quicker turnaround, and enhanced transparency at the ports.
Documents show that the NPA neither invited the companies for any discussion, nor found them wanting in their contractual duties before moving to terminate the agreements.
This latest push follows a recent failed attempt, when the NPA wrote to the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) seeking a “No Objection” waiver to scrap and reprocure cargo survey services through selective tendering.
The BPP rejected the request, warning the NPA against serial abuse of restricted procurement and directing it to return to open competitive bidding in line with the Public Procurement Act, 2007.
However, documents now show that after sustained pressure, the BPP eventually approved the use of restricted procurement on some CS contracts, raising questions about compromise and transparency.
Contractors allege that the volte-face is part of a wider scheme to divert lucrative survey fees to favoured companies linked to cronies of the NPA leadership.
Several contractors told Leaders.ng that they were blindsided by the cancellation move, having received no prior communication from the Authority. They also insist that unpaid invoices and procurement uncertainties are deliberate tactics to weaken existing firms.
Legal and procurement experts warn that cancelling contracts midstream, without breach, would inevitably lead to litigation, costing the government more money.
Segun Bakare, a maritime analyst, told Leaders.ng that “there is already a publication by the Attorney-General of the Federation cautioning MDAs against actions that could lead to litigation. Cancelling legally approved contracts falls squarely into that category.”
Civil society groups and industry watchers are now calling on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) to investigate what they describe as a fraudulent attempt to cancel and reallocate cargo survey contracts.
Observers argue that this action risks undermining confidence in Nigeria’s procurement safeguards and could damage port efficiency at a time when revenue generation is critical.
“The Office of the Auditor-General and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission should prioritise an audit of the procurement cycle and payments for cargo survey services over the last three years.
“Affected contractors should be given a public forum to present their case, and the NPA should publish a timeline and rationale for any contract cancellations or re-tendering,” Tolu Adekoya, a lawyer, stated.
Meanwhile, there are fears that the NPA’s drive to cancel and reprocure cargo survey contracts, and to secure restricted tendering approvals, will expose an already fragile procurement environment where urgent operational narratives can be used to justify sidelining competition.
“The BPP’s job is to close that door; whether it will stand firm under pressure is now the central test of Nigeria’s procurement safeguards,” Adekoya concluded.
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