The Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, has described Abuja’s centrality and rich agro-allied potentials as strategic to Nigeria’s quest to boost non-oil revenue and diversify its economy.
Speaking during the “NPA Special Day” at the ongoing Abuja International Trade Fair, Dr. Dantsoho said the Authority remains committed to supporting the Federal Government’s drive to grow non-oil revenue by connecting local producers to international markets through improved port-hinterland connectivity.
According to him, Abuja’s location at the heart of the country makes it a natural hub for linking producers across different regions to clusters of international demand. This, he noted, aligns with NPA’s renewed trade facilitation agenda, which places a premium on enhancing connectivity and unlocking comparative advantages across Nigeria.
“As Nigeria’s foremost trade facilitation platform, the NPA is proud to be associated with the noble cause the Abuja International Trade Fair represents, especially since trade remains the most veritable tool for actualizing most of Nigeria’s economic aspirations,” Dantsoho stated.
The NPA boss used the opportunity to invite businesses and investors to explore the Authority’s simplified export processes and other opportunities it has created to ease trade. He explained that the establishment of Export Processing Terminals (EPTs) has significantly reduced the bureaucratic bottlenecks that previously discouraged Nigerian exports.
“The EPTs were conceptualized to serve as a one-stop-shop for cargo consolidation, stuffing, documentation, packaging, certification and onward shipment through electronic call-up to the ports. This eliminates duplications and overlaps that had rendered Nigerian exports uncompetitive in the international marketplace,” he said.
He added that in synergy with the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) and Inland Dry Ports, the EPTs are designed to integrate seamlessly with Domestic Export Warehouses (DEWs), creating pathways for Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) to participate effectively in the export value chain.
To further enhance trade efficiency, Dr. Dantsoho revealed that the NPA is unifying its operational channels into a single transaction gateway through the Ports Community System (PCS), which will provide the foundation for the National Single Window (NSW). According to him, this global best practice will connect all stakeholders in the trade value chain on a real-time basis, reducing delays and eliminating undue human interference.
He stressed that the NPA has put in place measures to connect value creators in the remotest parts of the hinterland with demand clusters globally, thereby ensuring that Nigerian exports remain competitive.
Assuring stakeholders of the Authority’s openness to partnerships, the NPA MD urged participants to take advantage of its interactive online real-time portal at www.nigerianports.gov.ng to access available opportunities.
