Nigeria Emerges Maritime Giant as New Data Shows Shipping Capacity Far Ahead of Southern Africa (2025)
By Kehinde Awosina
Nigeria is reportedly ahead of Southern Africa in merchant shipping capacity, based on circulating 2025 maritime data comparing gross tonnage (GT) figures across the region.
According to the figures shared online, Nigeria’s merchant fleet capacity stands at 4.47 million gross tonnage (GT), significantly higher than the combined total of several Southern African countries, which is estimated at 1.23 million GT.
The breakdown shows wide disparities across the region:
Lesotho – 3,000 GT
Namibia – 85,000 GT
Eswatini – 750,000 GT
South Africa – 388,000 GT
Gross tonnage (GT), a standard measure of a ship’s overall internal volume, is used globally to assess the size and capacity of merchant vessels.
If the circulating figures are accurate, Nigeria’s maritime capacity alone would exceed the combined shipping strength of the listed Southern African states by a wide margin, underscoring its growing influence in West and Central African maritime trade routes.
However, the data remains unverified by official maritime authorities, and analysts often caution that shipping statistics can vary depending on registry methods, vessel classification, and data sources.

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