Abuja’s Central Location and Agro-Allied Potentials Key to Expanding Nigeria’s Non-Oil Revenue – Dantsoho

The Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, has emphasized that Abuja’s strategic centrality and vast agro-allied resources are critical to strengthening NPA’s commitment to supporting the Federal Government’s drive to expand non-oil revenue.

According to him, Abuja’s position at the heart of the country is pivotal to NPA’s renewed trade facilitation agenda, which prioritizes port-hinterland connectivity. He noted that the city’s location enhances seamless linkages with the comparative advantages of all regions of Nigeria, creating opportunities to boost the volume and value of exports.

Speaking during the “NPA Special Day” at the Abuja International Trade Fair, Dr. Dantsoho reaffirmed that as Nigeria’s foremost trade facilitation platform, the authority is proud to be associated with initiatives that promote trade, describing it as one of the most effective tools for realizing the nation’s economic aspirations.

He invited traders and investors to take advantage of NPA’s simplified export processes and other opportunities, highlighting the establishment of Export Processing Terminals (EPTs) designed to streamline export procedures.

“These terminals serve as a one-stop shop for cargo consolidation, stuffing, documentation, packaging, certification, and onward shipment through electronic call-up to ports, thereby eliminating duplication and bureaucratic bottlenecks that once made Nigerian exports less competitive,” he explained.

To further strengthen port-hinterland connectivity and create space for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the export value chain, Dr. Dantsoho said the EPTs are integrated with Domestic Export Warehouses (DEWs), in collaboration with the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) and Inland Dry Ports.

He also revealed that the NPA is consolidating its operational channels into a unified transaction platform known as the Ports Community System (PCS). This initiative, he said, aligns with the Federal Government’s economic stabilization agenda and the trade fair’s theme, “Sustainability: Consumption, Incentives and Taxation.” The PCS, he added, sets the stage for implementing the National Single Window (NSW), which will ensure transparency, reduce delays, and minimize human interference in trade processes.

“The NSW is a global best practice that delivers maximum value with ease by connecting all stakeholders in the trade value chain for seamless interaction at the push of a button,” Dr. Dantsoho stated, adding that the NPA has adopted measures to link producers in the remotest hinterlands with demand clusters across the globe.

He assured stakeholders of the authority’s openness to partnerships beyond the trade fair and urged them to explore NPA’s fully interactive real-time website, www.nigerianports.gov.ng, to access growth-driven opportunities.