Exporters under the aegis of the Association of West African Exporters and Maritime Professionals (AWAEMAP) have decried massive losses exceeding $10 million due to the Nigerian Ports Authority’s (NPA) integration of the Nigeria Export Proceed (NXP) into the Truck Transit Park (TTP) portal.

According to the exporters, the development has caused severe disruptions in the export sector within just five days.

Expressing their displeasure, the group urged the Federal Government to rectify what they described as the problematic imposition of the NXP requirement on the TTP platform.

In a press statement signed by AWAEMAP President Olubunmi Olumekun on Friday, the exporters emphasised the need to streamline export processes to maintain balance in the nation’s foreign trade.

According to the group, the NXP implementation has introduced new operational bottlenecks, delaying shipments and increasing compliance burdens.

“In light of this situation, we emphasise the importance of upholding the Central Bank of Nigeria’s single-window platform, known as the Trade Monitoring System (TRMS) portal, as directed by the Federal Government.

“This system plays a vital role in consolidating oversight of various agencies regulating export trade, and we strongly urge the NPA to cease practices that revert exporters to outdated protocols,” the statement read.

The exporters warned that the turnaround time for exporting goods would be significantly prolonged, negatively impacting government revenue.

Additionally, they noted that delays in accessing port terminals would affect the quality of perishable agricultural produce.

AWAEMAP also highlighted the increasing frequency of missed vessel departures at seaports, as export containers must now be gated into terminals at least 48 hours before departure.

The exporters lamented that the loss of contracts would significantly impair the country’s global competitiveness and Logistics Performance Index (LPI) rankings.

They said the mandatory requirement to obtain a Clean Certificate of Inspection (CCI) for all containers linked to an NXP before they can enter export terminals is impractical and neither enhances the value of exports nor ensures the repatriation of export proceeds.

“In reality, securing a CCI before entry is operationally unrealistic, as it can only be obtained after completing several steps, including the stuffing of all containers linked to the NXP, the PIA’s advisory for NESS payment, and the issuance of the CCI—a process that typically takes several days to complete,” the group added.

AWAEMAP called on the authorities to reconsider the policy to prevent further disruptions and financial losses in the export sector. (The Guardian)