The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has urged exporters and investors to boost their export business by taking advantage of its simplified export processes and newly-introduced trade systems, designed to dismantle longstanding roadblocks that discourage exports.

The managing director of NPA, Abubakar Dantsoho, made the call at the 36th Enugu international trade fair. He told Nigerian exporters that NPA has developed simplified export platforms, including dedicated Export Processing Terminals (EPTs), to ease the movement of Nigerian goods from the hinterland to global markets.

According to him, the EPTs were created to serve as a one-stop-shop for cargo consolidation, stuffing, documentation, packaging, certification and onward shipment through electronic call-up to the Ports in quick turnaround time, thus eliminating the duplications and bureaucratic overlaps that previously rendered Nigerian exports uncompetitive in the international marketplace.

“To facilitate port-hinterland connectivity and create pathways for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to plug into the export value chain, the EPTs are to be linked with Domestic Export Warehouses (DEWs) in collaboration with the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) and other key partners,” Dantsoho told the trade fair participants.  He added that NPA has prioritized digitalization to eliminate human interference which hinders transparency, and delays export operations.

Among the measures to enhance transactions, he informed, is the deployment the Ports Community System (PCS) as a launch pad for the National Single Window (NSW), which seeks to unify all trade platforms.

He said that as Nigeria’s foremost trade facilitation agency, NPA is always proud to be associated with the noble cause that the Trade Fair represents, especially seeing that trade remains the most veritable tool for actualizing most of our economic aspirations.

The NPA boss assured stakeholders that the doors of NPA were always open for partnerships even beyond the trade fair. “I therefore want to warmly invite you to interact with our business development team at the NPA pavilion and to also visit our fully interactive online real time website www.nigerianports.gov.ng to access our growth offerings.”

Dantsoho urged the trade fair participants to visit the NPA pavilion to explore available opportunities, and engage with the Authority’s business development team, adding that further resources were accessible via the agency’s online portal.

He also commended the Enugu Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines & Agriculture (ECCIMA) for its resilience in sustaining the trade fair tradition, stressing that Enugu’s position as a key gateway to the South-East made it a vital corridor for expanding Nigeria’s exports.

All these were contained in a statement by the Corporate Affairs department of NPA made available to our news medium.