NPA says Nigeria's exports rose 25% in two years on port reforms
- The Nigerian Ports Authority says exports grew more than 25 per cent in two years, helped by government reforms and terminal operator partnerships.
- Managing Director Abubakar Dantsoho said growth covered cocoa, cashew and manufactured goods, not just oil and gas.
- He also said two Nigerian ports made the World Bank's top 20 and a $1bn Apapa Port expansion is planned.
Nigeria's exports have grown by more than 25 per cent in the last two years, the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has said, pointing to government reforms and closer work with companies that run the terminals.
The NPA's managing director, Dr Abubakar Dantsoho, gave the figure at the Annual World Ports Conference in London, organised by the International Association of Ports and Harbours (IAPH).
For ordinary Nigerians, stronger exports matter because they bring in foreign exchange, support jobs in farming and factories, and can help steady the naira over time. Cocoa and cashew farmers, and the traders who handle their produce, stand to gain most if the volumes keep rising.
Dantsoho said the growth was not only from oil and gas. Shipments of agricultural raw materials such as cocoa and cashew, and of manufactured goods, had also increased.
"Statistically, the exports from Nigeria in the last two years has increased by 25 per cent," he said, adding that the rise was partly down to the NPA's partnership with major terminal operators, especially APM Terminals.
What the ports are doing differently
He said about four Export Processing Terminals are now running in Nigeria. There, the NPA works with terminal operators, the Nigeria Customs Service and other agencies so that export cargo is checked and documented locally before it leaves the country.
The aim, he said, is to make sure goods meet required standards before shipment, so Nigerian exports are not rejected abroad.
Dantsoho also said the reforms have put Nigeria in a better position to gain from the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), the continent-wide pact meant to boost trade between African countries. He cited growing cooperation with Morocco, which he described as a hub for electric and other vehicles.
According to him, two Nigerian ports are now among the top 20 in the latest World Bank global ports ranking, and revenue from ports across the country has quadrupled alongside higher cargo volumes.
He said a regional dashboard used by ports in West and Central Africa shows Nigeria's efficiency is now better than that of other countries in the region.
What happens next
Dantsoho said the Federal Government plans to invest $1 billion in expanding and modernising Apapa Port, with private investors, including APM Terminals, expected to help raise the money.
The NPA is also working with a Singaporean firm on a single-window system for trade paperwork, and is in talks with a company in Abu Dhabi on a port community system to link the many agencies and businesses that use the ports.
The export figure was announced at a conference and the NPA did not give a naira value for the trade or a breakdown by product. It is also not yet clear how much of the growth comes from higher prices rather than more goods shipped.
