NPA Pushes Automation, NSW To Eliminate Bottlenecks

The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has 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 mediumscale 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 SouthEastern 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 provid- ing 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.