NPA Rolls Out Dedicated Export Terminals, Cargo Corridors To Boost Non-Oil Trade
By Sunday Etuka
The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has introduced Export Processing Terminals and dedicated cargo transit corridors to ease logistics bottlenecks, shorten export turnaround time and strengthen Nigeria’s non-oil export trade.
Managing Director of the NPA, Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, announced this while addressing participants at the 40th edition of the Lagos International Trade Fair, where he outlined reforms aimed at improving port efficiency and boosting the country’s competitiveness in international trade.
Dantsoho said the Export Processing Terminals were designated and integrated to offer one-stop processing, documentation and pre-gating services for export cargo, a move he said significantly cuts turnaround time and simplifies export operations.
He added that the Authority had also put in place dedicated transit corridors, working with security and traffic management agencies, to ensure export cargo moves smoothly to the ports.
According to him, the initiatives are meant to improve non-oil export logistics, help small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) expand, make Nigerian products more competitive in global markets and raise the country’s foreign exchange earnings.
Dantsoho described non-oil exports as a national priority as Nigeria steps up efforts to diversify its economy.
He stressed the need for the country to shift from being largely a consuming nation to becoming a manufacturing and exporting powerhouse.
The NPA boss said the transformation of the maritime sector was not accidental but the result of purposeful policy execution and strategic leadership.
He noted that the Authority, as the gateway to the Nigerian economy, holds a strategic position in linking local businesses with international markets.
Speaking on infrastructure, Dantsoho said the Authority’s $1 billion Port Modernisation Drive was opening significant opportunities for local and international investors to take part in the transformation of Nigeria’s maritime infrastructure.
He identified the rehabilitation and expansion of port infrastructure across Apapa, Tin Can, Calabar, Rivers, Delta and Onne as key areas needing strategic partnerships and private sector investment.
Other opportunities, he said, include digital and smart port solutions such as automated gates, the Port Community System, the Vessel Traffic Management System (VTMS) and artificial intelligence driven logistics.
He also listed the development of dry ports and multimodal logistics infrastructure, including inland container depots, rail-port linkages and cold-chain systems, as areas open to investment.
According to him, green port initiatives, particularly renewable energy, eco-friendly equipment and sustainable waste management, also form part of the modernisation programme, in line with global decarbonisation goals.
Dantsoho assured prospective investors that the NPA was committed to maintaining a transparent and business-friendly environment, backed by regulatory stability and attractive returns on investment.
He said the ongoing modernisation, with the support of the Federal Government and the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, would position Nigerian ports for improved efficiency, export-led prosperity and greater global competitiveness.
The NPA chief urged participants, international trade delegations and investors at the fair to explore the opportunities available in Nigeria’s Blue Economy.
He said the theme of the 40th edition, “40 Years of Trade, Growth and Global Connection,” reflected the Authority’s mandate of connecting Nigeria’s domestic enterprises with international markets.
Dantsoho reaffirmed the NPA’s commitment to keeping Nigeria connected to the world through sustained port modernisation, improved trade facilitation and the development of an efficient maritime sector.
