Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has announced plans to link the Export Processing Terminals (EPTs) with the domestic export warehouses (DEW) across the country to facilitate port-hinterland connectivity and create pathways for small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs).
The Managing Director of NPA, Dr Abubakar Dantsoho, disclosed this at the weekend at the 2024 Lagos International Trade Fair, titled, ‘Connecting Businesses, Creating Value’, in Lagos.
He explained that the EPTs are to be linked with the DEWs in synergy with the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) and relevant partners.
Dantsoho also stated that the authority is aggressively pursuing full automation of the nation’s processes and procedures through the Ports Community System (PCS), which lays the groundwork for the implementation of the National Single Window (NSW).
“In our bid to contribute to the strengthening of the domestic economy through the promotion of balance of trade, we established the Export Process Terminal to simplify the hitherto burdensome process of exporting Nigerian goods.
“The EPTs were conceptualised in partnership with the NEPC to serve as a one-stop-shop for the stuffing, packaging and certification of export-bound cargo in quick turnaround time by eliminating the duplications and bureaucratic overlaps that previously rendered Nigerian exports uncompetitive in the international marketplace,” he explained.
Dantsoho, however, stated that the theme of the 2024 trade fair “Connecting Businesses, Creating Value,” was in tandem with the authority’s corporate aspirations as a business-enabling agency of government.
