Accelerate bankable green projects, APM Terminals urges maritime stakeholders

APM Terminals Nigeria has called for stronger collaboration among government, industry, investors and development partners to accelerate the development of bankable green infrastructure projects capable of transforming the maritime sector and supporting the country’s transition to a low-carbon economy.

The call was made by APM Terminals Nigeria Chairman, Frederik Klinke, at the second Decarbonizing Infrastructure in Nigeria (DIN) summit in Abuja, themed; “De-risking Green Infrastructure Investments: From Policy Architecture to Bankable Projects.”

Addressing policy makers, industry leaders and development partners in a statement, Klinke said Nigeria has made significant progress in advancing maritime reforms and climate action but stressed that the next phase must focus on implementation.

“Policy alone does not reduce emissions. Strategies do not decarbonize ports. Frameworks do not attract investment. Projects do,” he stated.

Klinke emphasised the need to translate policy ambition into scalable, investment-ready projects that deliver both economic and environmental benefits.

Noting that maritime transport accounts for more than 80 percent of global trade by volume, he said decarbonising the sector is critical to achieving climate goals and strengthening long-term economic competitiveness. He highlighted the importance of regulatory clarity, project readiness, reliable emissions data, and stronger integration across ports, roads, rail and inland logistics networks.

Also speaking at the summit, CEO of APM Terminals Nigeria, Koen De Backker, highlighted the role of ports and terminals in the energy transition, noting that reducing emissions begins with improving the efficiency of logistics systems. He said this can be achieved by reducing equipment usage and fuel consumption, minimising truck waiting times and congestion, improving cargo flow and operational efficiency, supporting cleaner energy solutions, and preparing for the adoption of lower-emission technologies.

“Maritime decarbonization is not only a fuels challenge. It is also an operational challenge,” De Backker noted.

Representing Vice President Kashim Shettima, deputy Chief of Staff Senator Ibrahim Hadejia called for urgent policy reforms, stronger public-private partnerships and innovative risk-sharing mechanisms to attract domestic and foreign investment into Nigeria’s green infrastructure sector. He said achieving Nigeria’s climate and infrastructure objectives would require greater participation from the private sector, development finance institutions and institutional investors, supported by well-prepared projects capable of attracting long-term capital.

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Personal Assistant to the President on Subnational Infrastructure and representative of the DIN Summit Steering Committee, Musaddiq Adamu, said the summit was established to address a critical challenge: moving green infrastructure projects from concept to investment.

He noted that engagements from previous editions had already produced tangible outcomes, including progress on port electrification initiatives.