The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has moved to bring port services closer to exporters in northern and central Nigeria as part of efforts to reduce logistics bottlenecks and increase the country’s non-oil export earnings.
The NPA said the transfer of management and development functions of Inland Dry Ports to the authority would allow exporters in areas such as Abuja to complete more port processes closer to their businesses instead of moving raw commodities to coastal ports.
The Managing Director of the NPA, Dr Abubakar Dantsoho, disclosed this at the 21st Abuja International Trade Fair organised by the Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Dantsoho said the arrangement would improve access to international markets and make exporting more commercially viable for businesses located far from Nigeria’s seaports.
“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.
He said the NPA was also expanding dedicated Export Processing Terminals to tackle delays faced by non-oil exporters.
The terminals provide facilities for sorting, packaging, quality certification and customs documentation before export cargo is transported to port terminals.
According to Dantsoho, the measures are already supporting increased exports of agricultural commodities and solid minerals, including cocoa, sesame, cashew and hibiscus.
He said reducing delays in the export chain would improve the competitiveness of Nigerian products and boost the confidence of foreign buyers, ultimately increasing foreign exchange inflows.
Dantsoho urged businesses in agriculture, manufacturing, processing and solid minerals to take advantage of the emerging export infrastructure and expand into international markets.
He said the NPA was working to create a trade environment where exporters, regardless of their location or size, could access reliable maritime logistics.
The Director-General of the Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Agabaidu Jideani, called for closer collaboration between the chamber and the NPA to improve trade and investment opportunities.
Jideani said efficient and accessible ports were critical to importers, exporters, manufacturers, distributors and logistics operators, adding that stronger cooperation would help improve Nigeria’s participation in regional and international trade.
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