This article examines the relationship between pilotage operations and perceived cargo handling capacity in six Nigerian port complexes, drawing on a doctoral survey reported by Okwe (2026). Pilotage was represented by navigation and manoeuvring, communication and coordination, risk management, and classified pilotage districts. The thesis records 65 usable questionnaires from 72 distributed instruments and reports multiple regression analysis. Its main results associate navigation and manoeuvring, communication and coordination, and classified pilotage districts positively with cargo handling capacity, while risk management is reported as statistically non-significant. These findings are presented as source-reported patterns rather than independently verified statistical results. Coefficient inconsistencies, conflicting estimator descriptions and questionnaire wording limit their evidential strength. The article interprets pilotage as an enabling component of the vessel-to-terminal interface whose contribution depends on berth readiness, terminal resources and cargo evacuation. It recommends integrated movement planning, operational communication and district-specific service review, accompanied by direct performance measurement. The available material supports an exploratory discussion of perceived operational relationships, but does not establish causal effects or quantify additional cargo capacity.