Pledging port performance

Committing to improved efficiencies

NIGERIA: Recognising the importance of port performance to promote economic growth for the country’s exports, the Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority concluded a management retreat with a call to renew efforts for continuous improvement in the ports.

Speaking during the recently concluded NPA Management Retreat in Onne Rivers State, Dr Abubakar Dantsoho said “we are proud of the excellent work being undertaken by the Nigerian Export Promotion Council as evident in the increased export numbers passing through our platforms, but we cannot rest on our laurels, we must commit to a continuous improvement paradigm of Port operations and service delivery that places high premium on issues of sustainability”.

He also stressed the need to minimise the environmental impact of the port activities. “Minimising environmental impact through eco-friendliness, promotion of social responsibility, and ensuring long-term economic viability are the drivers of global progress, and we cannot afford to be left behind. We owe posterity a duty to infuse sustainability paradigms into the way we do things.”

“Minimising environmental impact through eco-friendliness, promotion of social responsibility, and ensuring long-term economic viability are the drivers of global progress, and we cannot afford to be left behind. We owe posterity a duty to infuse sustainability paradigms into the way we do things.”

The NPA Management Retreat themed “Repositioning the Nigerian Ports System for Sustainability” focused on reviewing and optimising operational processes to enhance service delivery.

At the Retreat, the NPA Management Team undertook a Business Process Re-engineering to identify and address bottlenecks and inefficiencies, ensuring a more customer-centric approach.

Additionally, the NPA signed a Performance Bond, reinforcing its commitment to operational excellence and achieving the Priorities of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as directed by the Minister of Marine & Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola.

The Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) under whose technical guidance and partnership NPA established its Export Processing Terminals (EPT) reported an unprecedented growth in Nigeria’s Non-Oil Exports reflecting that non-oil exports for H1 2025 reached US$3.225 billion, marking a 19.59% increase compared to the same period in 2024. Export volume also rose to 4.04 million metric tonnes.

This is coming on the heels of maiden call of the first wholly-Nigerian owned container vessel MV Ocean Dragon at the NPA Eastern Port of Onne in Rivers State. The vessel which is scheduled to operate weekly from Onne via Calabar channel will service ports in Nigeria, Benin Republic, Togo, Ghana, Cameroon, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Egypt and South Africa.

PHOTO: Managing Director Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) Dr Abubakar Dantsoho (2nd Right), Director Planning Research & Statistics Federal Ministry of Marine & Marine & Blue Economy, Hajia Kalthum Ibrahim (3rd Right), Executive Directors Finance & Administration Vivian Richard-Edet (2nd Left), Executive Director Engineering & Technical Services Ibrahim Abba Umar FNSE (1st Right) and Executive Director Marine & Operations Olalekan Badmus FNSE (1st Left).