The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) is working round the clock to address the bottlenecks affecting export in the country.
NPA Managing Director Muhammad Bello Koko disclosed this at the 2022 Zenith Bank International Trade Seminar on non-oil export on Wednesday in Lagos.
The seminar had the theme: “Unlocking Opportunities in Nigeria’s Non-Oil Export Business.”
He said there should be proper synergy between vessels that come into the country as well records of the ones that leave the ports.
Truck electronic call-up system to ease movement of cargoes have been deployed by the NPA into the port.
He said the agency had created pregates where trucks would park before entering the port.
Bello Koko said, “We are working with the government to ensure diversification of the economy and we are encouraging non-oil export.
“Also, not just about deploying e-call-up system, we have licensed 10 export processing terminals.
“The terminals are supposed to be at locations whereby one stalk, process, package, certify, seal and send it directly to the port.
“But for it to succeed, we need other government agencies. We need to understand that the port is a maritime ecosystem not just for the NPA but other government agencies.
“And so for the export processing terminals that were created, we expect the Nigeria Customs Service and Standards Organisation of Nigeria to have export desk there for certification,” he said.
The NPA boss noted that three out of the 10 export processing terminals would come on stream shortly.
Bello-Koko noted that barges were also introduced at a cost borne by the exporters thereby making export more expensive.
He explained that the export terminal would reduce the burden in future.
He also called for the introduction of a National Single Window to ease movement of cargoes.
The Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele has noted that they had introduced various initiatives and interventions that would harness the opportunities in the non-oil sector to create wealth for the country.
Emefiele said “We have the N500 billion non-oil stimulation facilitation, Commercial Agricultural Scheme Act for agricultural commodity and many others.”
Earlier, Mr Ebenezer Onyeagwu, the Group Managing Director, Zenith Bank, in his welcome address, noted that opportunities in the non-oil export was expansive and inclusive with huge value chain.
