NPA partners with NEPC to boost export efficiency for SMEs

The Nigerian Ports Authority has announced a partnership with the Nigerian Export Promotion Council and other relevant stakeholders to link the Export Processing Terminals with the Domestic Export Warehouse.

NPA stated that this collaboration would facilitate port-hinterland connectivity and create opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises.

The Managing Director of NPA, Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, disclosed this on Sunday at the 2024 Lagos International Trade Fair, themed ‘Connecting businesses, creating value.’

He explained that the agency is actively pursuing full automation of the port’s processes and procedures through the Ports Community System, which will lay the foundation for the implementation of the National Single Window.

Dr. Dantsoho further stressed that this initiative aligns with the Federal Government’s focus on improving the ease of business.

“The EPTs will also help facilitate port-hinterland connectivity and create pathways for SMEs to engage in the value chain. These EPTs will be linked with the DEWs in collaboration with the NEPC and other partners.

As many of us know, to contribute to strengthening the domestic economy and improving the balance of trade, we established the EPTs to simplify the previously burdensome process of exporting Nigerian goods,” Dantsoho said.

He added that the EPTs, created in partnership with the NEPC, are designed to serve as one-stop-shops for stuffing, packaging, and certifying export-bound cargo quickly, “by eliminating duplications and bureaucratic overlaps that previously made Nigerian exports uncompetitive on the global market.”

Dr. Dantsoho explained that the National Single Window (NSW) is a global strategy designed to deliver maximum value with the least effort by connecting all stakeholders in the trade value chain for seamless interaction at the push of a button.

He further noted that the theme of the 2024 trade fair aligns with the NPA’s corporate goals.

“I mention all of this to show that the theme of this year’s fair strongly reflects our corporate aspirations as a business-enabling agency of the government,” he said.

Dr. Dantsoho also called for continued partnerships beyond the trade fair.
In 2022, the immediate past Managing Director of NPA, Mohammed Bello-Koko, commissioned five EPTs to reduce delays in the export of Nigerian products.