The Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, Dr Abubakar Dantsoho, has said that Abuja’s central location and agro-allied endowments are crucial to boosting Nigeria’s non-oil revenue and strengthening port–hinterland trade connectivity.

Speaking at the “NPA Special Day” of the ongoing Abuja International Trade Fair, Dantsoho stressed that the capital’s position at the centre of the country makes it strategic for connecting local producers in the non-oil value chain to international markets.

Dantsoho said “As Nigeria’s foremost trade facilitation platform, the authority is always proud to be associated with the noble cause the Abuja International Trade Fair represents, especially as trade remains the most veritable tool for actualising most of Nigeria’s economic aspirations”.

The NPA MD noted that in line with the agency’s commitment to support the Federal Government’s non-oil revenue drive, it had established Export Processing Terminals, EPTs, to streamline the previously burdensome export process.

He explained that the EPTs serve as one-stop shops for cargo consolidation, documentation, packaging, certification, and shipment, eliminating duplication and delays that previously rendered Nigerian goods uncompetitive.

“To facilitate port–hinterland connectivity and create pathways for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to play in the export value chain, the EPTs have been structured to integrate seamlessly with Domestic Export Warehouses (DEWs) in synergy with the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) and Inland Dry Ports,” Mr Dantsoho added.

Dantsoho also revealed that the NPA is unifying its operations into a single digital transaction gateway known as the Ports Community System, PCS.

He said the PCS provides the groundwork for the implementation of the National Single Window, NSW, a global best practice platform that links all trade value chain stakeholders for real-time, seamless interaction at the push of a button.

“To align with the Federal Government’s economic stabilization efforts and the fair’s theme, ‘Sustainability: Consumption, Incentives and Taxation,’ we are harmonising our operational channels into PCS, which sustainably eliminates opacity and undue delays associated with human interference,” he said.

According to him, this digital integration will connect value creators in Nigeria’s remotest hinterlands with demand clusters across the globe.

Open Doors to Partnerships
Dantsoho assured investors, traders, and exporters that the NPA remains open to partnerships beyond the trade fair.

He encouraged stakeholders to explore the authority’s growth offerings through its fully interactive website, www.nigerianports.gov.ng, designed to provide real-time services to users across the world.”

The Chairman of Global Transport Policy (GTP), Dr Olusegun Musa, has urged the Federal Government to link 28 states in the country to waterways transport for economic transformation.

Musa made the call during the 10th Lagos International Maritime Week (LIMWEEK), a two-day event held in Lagos, and themed ‘Our Oceans, Our Seas, Our Obligation – Maximising Africa’s Ocean’.

According to Musa, Nigeria has about 853 kilometres of coastline offering opportunities in fisheries, oil and gas, shipping, and tourism.

He stressed that 28 of Nigeria’s 36 states possess water bodies which, if linked, could yield huge economic benefits.

Musa said Africa’s Blue Economy was not a distant dream but an immediate opportunity, noting that data on its potential remained under utilised.

He emphasised that fisheries and aquaculture contribute significantly to Gross Domestic Product GDP and food security, adding that aquaculture could address a projected 12-million-tonne fish deficit by 2050.

He cited Egypt’s aquaculture drive and Ghana’s Aquaculture for Food and Jobs Programme as examples of meeting rising protein demands while reducing imports.

Musa said improved regulation could make Africa a net fish exporter, creating livelihoods and boosting nutritional security for its fast-growing population describing maritime trade, logistics, and ports as Africa’s trade lifeblood, with 90 per cent of international trade passing through them.

He warned that Africa’s blue economy faced severe threats, including climate change, sea-level rise, and overfishing, which could destabilise economies and displace communities.

He also warned of declining fisheries, with West Africa’s catch potential expected to drop 30 per cent by 2050, worsened by Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing.

He said IUU fishing deprived local communities, fuelling insecurity and radicalisation, as seen in regions such as Somalia.

On pollution, Musa highlighted persistent oil spills in the Niger Delta and rising marine waste from Africa’s growing coastal populations.

He stressed that oceans should be treated as partners in prosperity, not plundered resources.

Earlier, Zoe Maritime Resources Chief Executive, Mrs Edodo Emore, said the International Maritime Business-to-Business Conference was part of World Maritime Day celebrations.

The Convener noted that developing Africa’s ocean resources was crucial to tackling poverty, adding that development could not exist without maritime security.

She said a roundtable on Gulf of Guinea security would examine threats and opportunities for developing Africa’s ocean economy.

Edodo-Emore added that African ports must embrace digitalisation, with Smart Ports reducing vessel turnaround times, improving customs clearance, and ending manual processes.

She said a roundtable on maritime transport and port development would advance discussions on Smart Ports, their opportunities, and challenges.

By:  Chinedu Wosu

The President of the Customs Officers Wives Association COWA, Kikelomo Adeniyi, has called for urgent and collective efforts to tackle maternal mortality in Nigeria.

Adeniyi made the call during an empowerment and sensitization programme organized by COWA, at the Apapa Customs Command, in Lagos.

 The event which has its theme “Empowering Families, Enriching Lives,” brought together women from the customs community to discuss maternal health and economic empowerment.

Adeniyi described the persistent loss of women during childbirth as a preventable tragedy urging women to prioritize regular hospital visits, antenatal checks, and self-care.

“Maternal mortality is something we should all put our hands on deck to tackle.

“People seem unaware of their options, and that is why we have brought women together to discuss it today,” she said,

The President lamented recent cases of deaths during childbirth, stressing that proper awareness and access to medical attention can drastically reduce such incidents.

Highlighting the dual responsibilities of women in nurturing their families while safeguarding their own health, Adeniyi explained that COWA’s empowerment initiatives are designed to help women build sustainable livelihoods, particularly in the face of frequent transfers that often take customs officers away from their families.

“We don’t just give them items to work with; we teach them how to manage funds and grow businesses. Some of the women you saw today started training three months ago and have already presented cakes made by them, that is the impact of what we do,”

Earlier, Customs Area Controller, Apapa Command, Comptroller Emmanuel Oshoba, commended COWA for its commitment to female empowerment and social inclusion.

 Oshoba lauded the Association’s ongoing initiatives, which include skills acquisition, school interventions, care for special needs children, and business grants, pledging continued support from the Command.

With its growing reach and practical interventions, COWA says it would continue to expand its empowerment programmes across customs formations nationwide, promoting maternal health and economic independence for women.

Participants at the event received sewing machines, ovens, and other tools to support small-scale businesses.

By: Chinedu Wosu