The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has intensified efforts to remove bottlenecks hindering non-oil exports, with a renewed drive to expand export channels, fast-track cargo processing and increase foreign exchange earnings.
Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the NPA, Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, disclosed this on Friday at the NPA Special Day at the 21st Abuja International Trade Fair, organised by the Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI).
The fair, themed “Resilient Trade, Taxation and the Economy,” provided a platform for the Authority to outline ongoing reforms aimed at strengthening port infrastructure and extending maritime logistics to the hinterland.
Dantsoho said Nigeria’s economic resilience could no longer depend largely on imports and oil revenue, stressing that expanding non-oil exports and integrating local businesses into global value chains was critical to sustainable growth.
He said trade resilience required efficient infrastructure, predictable fiscal frameworks and seamless supply chains.
According to him, the recent approval by the Federal Government for the transfer of Inland Dry Ports (IDPs) management and development to the NPA would bring port efficiency closer to businesses far from coastal ports.
“By bringing Inland Dry Ports under the operational purview of the NPA, exporters in northern and central Nigeria, including right here in Abuja, no longer need to move raw commodities to coastal ports before undergoing port clearance and documentation,” he said.
Dantsoho said the Authority had also operationalised dedicated Export Processing Terminals as one-stop centres where sorting, packaging, quality certification and customs documentation could be completed before cargo movement to port terminals.
He noted that the interventions were already boosting non-oil exports, particularly agricultural commodities such as cocoa, sesame seeds, cashew nuts and hibiscus, as well as solid minerals, which he said had recorded increased export activity in the last two years.
The streamlined channels, he added, would enhance foreign buyers’ confidence in Nigerian products and increase forex inflows.
“To our prospective businessmen and entrepreneurs, now is the time to embrace export trade,” Dantsoho said, urging operators in agriculture, manufacturing, processing and solid minerals to leverage the emerging infrastructure to access international markets.
He assured exporters of the Authority’s commitment to efficient port services regardless of their size or location.
Also speaking, the Director-General of ACCI, Agabaidu Jideani, called for stronger collaboration between the NPA and the organised private sector to facilitate trade and unlock investment opportunities.
Jideani said the efficiency, accessibility and competitiveness of the nation’s ports had direct implications for importers, exporters, manufacturers, distributors and logistics operators.
“The efficiency, accessibility and competitiveness of Nigeria’s ports have direct implications for businesses across our sectoral groups,” he said.
He said ACCI was ready to deepen engagement with the NPA through policy dialogues, business forums, sensitisation programmes and capacity-building initiatives.
“We see this participation not merely as an exhibition opportunity, but as an important platform for dialogue, stakeholder engagement and partnership,” Jideani added.
He said stronger institutional collaboration was essential to improving the ease of doing business and enhancing Nigeria’s participation in domestic, regional and international trade.
https://dailytrust.com/npa-moves-to-cut-export-bottlenecks-targets-forex-inflows/
