The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) at the weekend unveiled a comprehensive strategy to boost Nigeria’s non-oil exports, anchored in infrastructure renewal, export process simplification, and the full automation of port operations.

Speaking at the 37th Enugu International Trade Fair, held recently in the state, the Managing Director of NPA, Abubakar Dantsoho, said the authority is repositioning the nation’s port system to connect local producers, especially small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs), to global markets.

Dantsoho highlighted the strategic importance of Enugu as a commercial gateway to the South-East, noting that its location presents vast opportunities for export expansion, particularly in agro-allied products.

“The strategic positioning of Enugu as the gateway to the South-Eastern hinterland presents huge opportunities for the expansion of export opportunities, which is the focal point of the Nigerian Ports Authority,” he said.

He commended the Enugu Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture for sustaining the trade fair as a platform for enterprise development and international trade engagement.

As part of efforts to drive cargo traffic and improve capacity, Dantsoho disclosed that the NPA is investing in the rehabilitation of key eastern ports, including Onne, Warri, and Calabar, while also supporting the development of new deep-seaports across the region.

“In addition to our renewed investment in Eastern Ports infrastructure renewal, we are providing bespoke technical guidance to proponents of deep seaports in a bid to drive vessel and cargo traffic to the Eastern flank on a sustainable frequency,” he said.

He stressed that trade remains one of the most effective tools for achieving Nigeria’s economic aspirations, adding that the NPA is committed to removing longstanding bottlenecks that have hindered export competitiveness.

Central to the reform agenda is the establishment of Export Process Terminals (EPTs), designed to simplify and streamline export procedures for Nigerian goods.

“As some of us are aware, we established the Export Process Terminals (EPTs) to simplify the hitherto burdensome process of exporting Nigerian goods,” Dantsoho said.

He explained that the terminals serve as a one-stop shop for all export-related activities, significantly reducing delays and inefficiencies.

“The EPTs were conceptualised to serve as a one-stop shop for cargo consolidation, stuffing, documentation, packaging, certification and onward shipment, thus eliminating the duplications and bureaucratic overlaps that previously rendered Nigerian exports uncompetitive.”

To further enhance efficiency and align with the Federal Government’s ease-of-doing-business agenda, the NPA is pursuing full automation of its processes through the implementation of the National Single Window (NSW) system.

“To achieve this, we are eliminating human interface, which encourages underhand dealings by pursuing the full automation of our processes, with the implementation of the National Single Window (NSW),” he said.

He described the NSW as a globally recognised system that enables seamless interaction among all stakeholders in the trade value chain.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the NSW is the global best practice connecting all stakeholders in the trade value chain for seamless interaction at the push of a button.”

Dantsoho added that the EPTs would be linked with Domestic Export Warehouses in collaboration with the Nigerian Export Promotion Council and other partners to strengthen port-hinterland connectivity and open up export opportunities for businesses across the country.

He assured stakeholders of the authority’s readiness to partner with investors and exporters, urging them to take advantage of NPA’s platforms and services.

“Our doors are always open for partnerships. We have put measures in place to link value creators in the remotest part of the hinterland with the farthest clusters of demand anywhere on the globe,” he said. (Nigerian Tribune)

Update news