The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has intensified efforts to dismantle bottlenecks confronting non-oil exporters, with a renewed push to expand export channels, streamline cargo processing and strengthen foreign exchange inflows into the economy.
The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the NPA, Abubakar Dantsoho, disclosed this at the NPA Special Day during the 21st Abuja International Trade Fair, organised by the Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI).
Dantsoho said the authority was strengthening port infrastructure and extending maritime logistics into the hinterland to enable businesses across the country access international markets more efficiently.
He said Nigeria could no longer depend largely on oil revenues and imports for economic growth, stressing that expanding non-oil exports and integrating local businesses into global value chains were critical to building a resilient economy.
According to him, the recent Federal Government approval transferring Inland Dry Port (IDP) management and development functions to the NPA would bring port services closer to businesses operating far from coastal ports.
He said the development would particularly benefit exporters in northern and central Nigeria, including Abuja, by reducing the need to transport raw commodities to coastal ports before completing port clearance and documentation.
