Home BUSINESS AVIATION We Will Encourage Nigeria’s Change From Import To Export Economy, Nigeria Port...

We Will Encourage Nigeria’s Change From Import To Export Economy, Nigeria Port Authority Boss Assures

Habib of Port Authority
Managing Director of Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Mallam Habib Abdulahi has given assurance that the authority would continue to encourage any effort designed to change the trade orientation of the country from import dependent to export.
The Managing Director spoke through the General Manager Capital Project, Engr. Rufai Mohammed in a paper titled: “Providing Enabling Port Infrastructure to Enhance Trade” at the just concluded two day International Seatrade and Investment Convention (ISIC) 2015, under the theme “Exploring New Trade Frontiers.”
Habib Abdulahi said to achieve such objective and more, federal government needs to work with private sector to provide adequate port infrastructure to facilitate export activities through the nation’s seaports.
He also listed other factors which he said could be extraneous to the Authority and which are also critical towards achieving enhanced export activities in the nation’s seaports.
The NPS boss insisted that the provision of appropriate port infrastructure is necessary to enhance trade in the economy.
Habib made it clear that seaports have been globally accepted to account for over 80 per cent by volume of International trade and commerce and that for a seaport to be competitive, it must have a robust infrastructural base amongst other requirements.
He said that with the major infrastructural improvements embarked upon by the Authority in its ports and harbour in all its four pilotage districts, coupled with the impending 25 year port master plan which has reached an advanced stage, the Organisation is being positioned to properly meet the demand of all categories of port users for both imports and exports.
Habib explained that mindful of the Federal Government determination of delivering an efficient port system for the overall good of the nation’s economy, the Authority is consolidating and entrenching the gains of the port reform by facilitating and synergizing the activities of the Private Terminal Operators, Shipping Lines, Freight Forwarders and other stakeholders, as well as improving the existing port infrastructure.
The Managing Director who enumerated a number of completed and on-going capital projects embarked upon by the Authority explained that the projects were meant to add efficiency to the nation’s seaports as well as to make the system competitive, effective and user friendly.
“Sustained efforts at providing the enabling port infrastructure has impacted on the overall port operational efficiency.”
In his goodwill message at the opening ceremony of the convention, the Managing Director commended the organisers of the event, which was the first of its kind in the nation’s maritime industry, for their fore-sight and said the event would not have come at a better than now “as the nation strives to promote export trade, in that way changing the orientation of our nations sea trade which is import dependent.” [myad]

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