[3] The natural anchorage in the vicinity of Kismayo possibly corresponds with the ancient emporium of Nikon, mentioned in the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea by Arrian of the 1st century CE.

Formerly one of the Bajuni Islands, the peninsula was subsequently connected by a narrow causeway when the modern Port of Kismayo was built in 1964 with U.S. assistance.

In 1966 the CIA's Intelligence Handbook for Special Operations – Somali Republic described the port as mainly an outlet for bananas and other agricultural produce.

[7] Somalia and the United States jointly refurbished the port in 1984 after significant wear to the 2,070-foot-long (630 m) four-berth, marginal wharf at the harbor required major renovations to maintain operations.

Revenues and resources generated from the seaport will, like the Kismayo airport, be earmarked for Jubaland's service delivery and security sectors as well as local institutional development.