With the coming into operation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), the Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr Abubakar Dantsoho, pledged yesterday, to elevate the nation’s sea ports to a hub status and take advantage of the opportunities inherent in the intra African trade to boost the nation’s economy.
Speaking at the Nigerian-British Chamber of Commerce (NBCC) Maritime and Logistics event in Lagos, Dantsoho promised that the NPA would focus on how to make the nation’s sea ports one of the best in the maritime world by taking all the necessary steps to reposition the ports as the most efficient, competitive and reliable gateways to optimise Nigeria’s trade inter-connectivity with other countries under the AfCFTA agreement.
The theme of the event is: “Improving the competitiveness of the Nigerian ports in an era of regional integration.”
NPA, he said, would also pursue the core values of efficiency, customer and stakeholders’ satisfaction, safety and security of port users. He assured that the Authority would promote accountability, transparency, equity and facilitate trade in line with international best practices.
Read Also: Bomb for Badenoch
“Our vision is to be the Maritime Logistics Hub for sustainable port services in Africa. In the quest for our nation to optimise the benefits accruable from AFCFTA, there is no gainsaying that port plays a pivotal role as a nodal point in international logistics.
Given the fact that port cost is a significant component of freight cost which ultimately affects the prices of goods in the market, this speaks to the imperativeness for our ports to be competitive and efficient.
“This requires strategic collaboration of every player in the port system for this to be actualised,” Dantsoho said.
He added that it is envisaged that intra African trade will significantly increase with the collapse of trade barriers across Africa, saying “it is therefore imperative that the Nigerian ports reposition to be competitive in order not to lose its gateway traffic to the ports.
He stated that port competitiveness is driven mainly by institution, infrastructure and macroeconomics, saying strong institutions provide the regulatory and governance framework necessary for stable and predictable business operations; while infrastructure is a cornerstone of port competitiveness, influencing both operational efficiency and long-term strategic viability.
“The quality of infrastructure affects transport costs, trade efficiency, and overall competitiveness. Investments in inland terminals, logistic zones, and rail networks can expand a port’s influence beyond its traditional hinterland and bring about efficiency that makes the port competitive,” he said.
Dantspho also, noted that the macroeconomic environment of a country is intricately linked to its ports’ performance and competitiveness, saying factors such as inflation, exchange rates, and economic stability influence trade flows and investments.
He expressed his gratitude to the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, for his support to every step the Authority is taking to reposition the Nigerian ports.
Dantsoho disclosed that NPA in collaboration with the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) is working towards the actualisation of this project. “The Port Community System (PCS) is envisaged to culminate into the National Single Window (NSW) for maximum efficiency and competitiveness,” he said.
