Nigeria’s exports have grown by 25 per cent over the past two years, a rise the Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority, Dr Abubakar Dantsoho, attributed to Federal Government reforms and closer collaboration with port terminal operators.
Dantsoho spoke at the ongoing Annual World Ports Conference in London, organised by the International Association of Ports and Harbours, where he said the growth cut across both oil and non-oil exports.
“For us in Nigeria, the most important thing is that we are seeing growth as a result of this policy that we are taking. Statistically, the exports from Nigeria in the last two years has increased by 25 per cent.
“These are exports that are not mainly only oil and gas. In manufacturing and agriculture, raw materials like cocoa and cashew, volumes have increased, and that is to the credit of the partnership between ourselves and the major terminal operators, APM Terminals,” he said.
He credited the improvement to the Export Processing Terminals set up by the NPA.
“We have got about four of those in Nigeria where we collaborate with the terminal operators, the Nigeria Customs Service and other agencies that have a stake, so that everything regarding the processing of cargo for export is done locally,” he stated.
Speaking on the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), Dantsoho said: “Nigeria’s economy is very strong now because of our president’s reforms, which everyone can testify is attracting investors to the country.”
He further noted that reforms at the ports had enhanced operational efficiency and boosted revenue.
“We have experienced a lot of increase in volumes and revenue that has been generated by the ports across Nigeria. As a matter of fact, the efficiency in the ports in Nigeria is far better now than those of other West African countries,” he said.
Dantsoho also revealed that the Federal Government was investing $1 billion in the expansion and modernisation of Apapa Port, with private-sector partnerships supporting the development of infrastructure and technology.
