The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has stepped up efforts to address bottlenecks affecting non-oil exports as the Federal Government pushes to expand Nigeria’s foreign exchange earnings and connect more businesses to international markets.
NPA Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, said the authority was strengthening port infrastructure and extending maritime logistics deeper into the hinterland to make international trade more accessible to businesses outside coastal areas.
Dantsoho spoke during the NPA Special Day at the 21st Abuja International Trade Fair, organised by the Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
He argued that Nigeria could no longer depend predominantly on oil revenue and imports to drive economic growth, stressing the importance of increasing non-oil exports and integrating domestic businesses into global value chains.
Dry Ports to Bring Services Closer to Exporters
A major component of the strategy is the Federal Government’s recent approval transferring Inland Dry Port management and development functions to the NPA.
According to Dantsoho, the change should allow port-related services to move closer to businesses operating far from Nigeria’s coastal ports.
Exporters in northern and central parts of the country, including Abuja, are expected to be among the beneficiaries.
Under the traditional arrangement, businesses located far from coastal ports can face substantial costs transporting commodities over long distances before completing documentation and clearance processes.
Bringing more port functions inland could reduce some of those logistical obstacles, particularly for agricultural and other non-oil exporters.
Non-Oil Exports Critical to Forex Strategy
Nigeria’s dependence on crude oil has historically left government revenues and foreign exchange receipts exposed to developments in international energy markets.
Expanding non-oil exports therefore provides an avenue for diversifying the country’s foreign exchange sources.
For that strategy to succeed, however, businesses must be able to move goods from production centres to export gateways efficiently.
Delays in cargo processing, inadequate transport connections and other logistics costs can make locally produced goods less competitive by the time they reach international buyers.
The NPA’s strategy is therefore focused not only on activities within seaports but also on the logistics chain connecting businesses to them.
Dantsoho said improving infrastructure and extending maritime logistics into the hinterland would enable enterprises across the country to gain more efficient access to international markets.
Export Competitiveness Remains Key
For manufacturers and agricultural exporters, reducing the time and expense involved in moving goods through ports can have a direct effect on competitiveness.
The expansion of inland port infrastructure could also create opportunities for businesses located hundreds of kilometres from Lagos and other coastal export gateways.
The broader challenge will be ensuring that infrastructure development translates into faster cargo movement, simpler documentation and lower overall logistics costs.
If those objectives are achieved, the NPA’s reforms could help widen Nigeria’s export base while providing additional sources of foreign exchange.
For the authority, the underlying argument is straightforward: Nigeria’s trade infrastructure must increasingly be designed not merely to handle imports but to make it easier for Nigerian businesses to sell competitively to the rest of the world.
