Dantsoho: How FG Reforms Led to Increase in Exports, Overall Cargo Throughput
L-R: Mr Mark Assaf – Chief Human Resources Development UNCTAD, Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho – VP IAPH/Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority, Mr. Achmad Muchtasyar – President Director, PT Pelabuhan Indonesia, Mr Igor Van den Essen – Chief Executive Africa & Europe, APM Terminals at the Ongoing World Ports Conference in London
By Francis Ugwoke
The Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho has disclosed that the federal government reforms in the past two years have led to increase in exports and overall cargo throughput.
Dantsoho who disclosed this when he spoke at the ongoing Annual World Ports Conference organised by the International Association of Ports and Harbours (IAPH) in London, said that Nigeria’s exports increased by over 25 percent as a result of federal government policies.
He said that what is more is that Nigeria’s population has an advantage over its peers in the West and Central Africa, explaining that the reforms led to massive increase in cargo throughput.
Dantsoho assured that the NPA has what it takes to sustain the growth in exports, explaining that this was why the Export Processing Terminal was set up.
Dantsoho added, “So for us in Nigeria, the most important thing is that we are seeing growth as a result of this policy that we are taking. Statistically, the exports from Nigeria in the last two years has increased by 25%. And then these are exports that are not mainly only oil and gas, in terms of oil and gas like I mentioned, we are doing fantastically around that, but then also in the other areas of manufacturing and agriculture, you know, raw materials like cocoa, like cashew and all that. Volumes have increased and that this is to the credit of the partnership that we have between ourselves and the major terminal operators.
“We have got about four of those in Nigeria where we collaborate with the terminal operators, with the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), and other agencies that have a stake. So that everything regarding the processing of the cargo for export is done locally, so that by the time it is exported out of Nigeria, there will not be issues regarding standards,”
He made it clear that the country is currently better placed to take advantage of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) with the reforms of the present administration.
He said, “Nigeria’s economy is very strong now because of our president’s reforms, which everyone can testify is attracting investors to the country. So because of that, we are leading other African countries to ensure that we export or trade within ourselves in a free and fair manner. So between, for example, Nigeria and Morocco, there’s a lot of exchange of idea because Morocco is now a hub for manufacturing of electric cars and other smaller cars.”
He added that the outcome of the reforms was why Nigeria had two ports in the top 20 in the latest global ports ranking by the World Bank.
“This the result of hard work and efficiency, because we are collaborating efficiently. And so we have identified that this is getting us a lot of good results. It’s result-oriented, it’s technology-based. So we are going to continue to consolidate on the relationship we have with major players in Morocco and South Africa.”, he stated.
Dantsoho also added that as a result of the reforms revenue from ports across Nigeria quadrupled.
According to the NPA MD, “We have experienced a lot of increase in volumes and revenue that has been generated by the ports across Nigeria, and it is strictly because of the collaboration between us and other countries. As a matter of fact, the efficiency in the ports in Nigeria is far better now than those of other West African countries.
“I am saying this because as the president of Association of Ports in West and Central Africa, we have the same dashboard to know the performance of other ports in the regions. There has also been improvement in Tanzania and Kenya. So it’s a very good feeling that this collaboration is getting us the desired results and we have to consolidate and also make sure that we progress on time so that we don’t allow the detraction to begin to slow us down.
He also disclosed that the federal government while planning for the medium to long term is investing $1 billion to expand and modernise the Apapa ports.
He added, “So expansion and modernisation of infrastructure requires that we collaborate with private sector people. And in that area, like I said, we are working with APMT, we are working with other bigger players who have got the capital. But this is a project that requires a lot of investment. You have to put a lot of money to be able to do that. We are also working with some partners to develop our technology. So for example, in recent times, like a year ago, we had a partnership with a firm from Singapore.
“We have developed a simple window system. And right now, we are also working with another company from Abu Dhabi to develop the port community system. It is not only us partnering with the private sector, there’s also in the private sector, business-to-business relationship,” .
The Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho has disclosed that the federal government reforms in the past two years have led to increase in exports and overall cargo throughput.
Dantsoho who disclosed this when he spoke at the ongoing Annual World Ports Conference organised by the International Association of Ports and Harbours (IAPH) in London, said that Nigeria’s exports increased by over 25 percent as a result of federal government policies.
He said that what is more is that Nigeria’s population has an advantage over its peers in the West and Central Africa, explaining that the reforms led to massive increase in cargo throughput.
Dantsoho assured that the NPA has what it takes to sustain the growth in exports, explaining that this was why the Export Processing Terminal was set up.
Dantsoho added, “So for us in Nigeria, the most important thing is that we are seeing growth as a result of this policy that we are taking. Statistically, the exports from Nigeria in the last two years has increased by 25%. And then these are exports that are not mainly only oil and gas, in terms of oil and gas like I mentioned, we are doing fantastically around that, but then also in the other areas of manufacturing and agriculture, you know, raw materials like cocoa, like cashew and all that. Volumes have increased and that this is to the credit of the partnership that we have between ourselves and the major terminal operators.
“We have got about four of those in Nigeria where we collaborate with the terminal operators, with the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), and other agencies that have a stake. So that everything regarding the processing of the cargo for export is done locally, so that by the time it is exported out of Nigeria, there will not be issues regarding standards,”
He made it clear that the country is currently better placed to take advantage of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) with the reforms of the present administration.
He said, “Nigeria’s economy is very strong now because of our president’s reforms, which everyone can testify is attracting investors to the country. So because of that, we are leading other African countries to ensure that we export or trade within ourselves in a free and fair manner. So between, for example, Nigeria and Morocco, there’s a lot of exchange of idea because Morocco is now a hub for manufacturing of electric cars and other smaller cars.”
He added that the outcome of the reforms was why Nigeria had two ports in the top 20 in the latest global ports ranking by the World Bank.
“This the result of hard work and efficiency, because we are collaborating efficiently. And so we have identified that this is getting us a lot of good results. It’s result-oriented, it’s technology-based. So we are going to continue to consolidate on the relationship we have with major players in Morocco and South Africa.”, he stated.
Dantsoho also added that as a result of the reforms revenue from ports across Nigeria quadrupled.
According to the NPA MD, “We have experienced a lot of increase in volumes and revenue that has been generated by the ports across Nigeria, and it is strictly because of the collaboration between us and other countries. As a matter of fact, the efficiency in the ports in Nigeria is far better now than those of other West African countries.
“I am saying this because as the president of Association of Ports in West and Central Africa, we have the same dashboard to know the performance of other ports in the regions. There has also been improvement in Tanzania and Kenya. So it’s a very good feeling that this collaboration is getting us the desired results and we have to consolidate and also make sure that we progress on time so that we don’t allow the detraction to begin to slow us down.
He also disclosed that the federal government while planning for the medium to long term is investing $1 billion to expand and modernise the Apapa ports.
He added, “So expansion and modernisation of infrastructure requires that we collaborate with private sector people. And in that area, like I said, we are working with APMT, we are working with other bigger players who have got the capital. But this is a project that requires a lot of investment. You have to put a lot of money to be able to do that. We are also working with some partners to develop our technology. So for example, in recent times, like a year ago, we had a partnership with a firm from Singapore.
“We have developed a simple window system. And right now, we are also working with another company from Abu Dhabi to develop the port community system. It is not only us partnering with the private sector, there’s also in the private sector, business-to-business relationship,” .
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