NPA boosts port hinterland connectivity to enhance Northern non-oil exports

By : Adaku Onyenucheya

Date: 4 December 2025 4:05pm WAT

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Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA).

Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA).

The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening the nation’s non-oil export sector through streamlined port operations and enhanced port–hinterland connectivity in the Northern region.

Speaking during the NPA Special Day at the Kano International Trade Fair, the Managing Director of NPA, Abubakar Dantsoho, praised the Kano Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (KACCIMA) for maintaining the fair’s reputation as a global business hub.

He highlighted Kano’s strategic position as a major commercial centre, linking Nigeria to the northern hinterland and to neighbouring landlocked countries, and offering significant economic opportunities.

According to him, Kano’s rich agro-allied potential aligns with the NPA’s initiative to connect local producers to international markets, especially within the non-oil value chain.

Dantsoho highlighted several reforms introduced by the Authority to improve Nigeria’s export competitiveness, including the creation of Export Processing Terminals (EPTs) designed as all-in-one facilities for consolidation, documentation, packaging, certification, and the onward movement of export goods to ports.

He explained that the EPTs, developed in partnership with the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) and other stakeholders, aim to remove bottlenecks that previously hindered the smooth export of Nigerian products by reducing duplication and bureaucratic delays.

The NPA boss also announced ongoing efforts to remove human interaction in port processes by fully automating operations through the Ports Community System (PCS), a precursor to the National Single Window (NSW). The NSW, he noted, represents global best practice for integrating all stakeholders in the trade value chain on a single digital platform.

Dantsoho said the reforms reflect the Authority’s resolve to link value creators in the remotest parts of Nigeria to global markets with minimal friction.

He urged traders and investors attending the fair to engage with the NPA’s business development team at the agency’s pavilion and explore opportunities available through its real-time digital platforms.

“To empower Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in line with the theme of this year’s fair, we are aggressively simplifying export procedures to ensure made-in-Nigeria goods move through our ports as smoothly as possible. Our doors are always open for partnerships beyond this fair,” he said.

In other news, the Managing Director/Chief Executive of the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC), Thompson Oludare Sunday, has reassured customers of commercial banks of the security of their deposits under the corporation’s insurance.

Besides, Sunday reminded that NDIC is closely working with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to ensure effective supervision of financial institutions and maintain stability in the banking landscape.

The NDIC boss gave the assurance on Wednesday during the ongoing 46th Kano International Trade Fair, where he reaffirmed the Corporation’s commitment to insulating the system against global instability.

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