Tag: Marine

 

Lagos,: Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and Dangote Industries Ltd. (DIL) have collaborated on developing the Marine and Blue Economy sector, with a focus on expanding the nation’s export operations.

Mr Okechukwu Onyemekara, General Manager, Communication and Strategy of NPA, made this disclosure in a statement after a courtesy visit by DIL President, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, to the NPA Headquarters in Lagos on Monday.

Speaking during the visit, Dangote elaborated on efforts to expand export products outside Nigeria.

(From third left, the Managing Director/CEO Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) Dr Abubakar Dantsoho (3rd Left), President/ GCEO Dangote Group Aliko Dangote GCON (3rd Right), GCEO MRS Holdings Ltd Sayyu Dantata (1st Right), Executive Director Engineering & Technical Services, Engr. Ibrahim Abba Umar FNSE (2nd Right), Executive Director Finance, Vivian Richard-Edet (2nd Left) and Executive Director Marine & Operations , Engr. Olalekan Badmus FNSE on Monday 26th May, 2025 when the Leadership of Dangote Group Visited the NPA Headquarters Marina – Lagos)

He said that the company would soon expand its export operations, adding that its cement factory at Itori had already started cement exportation.

Dangote said that the Itori cement factory had six million tons of cement designated for export.

“In the next couple of weeks, we will start exporting coal out of Nigeria. Our fertilizer export will almost be like eight cargos.

“The refinery operations will not export less than 25 million tons of various products.

“We will also be exporting almost about 600,000 to 700,000 metric tons of polypropylene. So when you are talking about export, we are going to be very big.

“In the next two years, we will be exporting about 16,000 tons of fertilizer. 16,000 tons of fertilizer, it’s actually about $6.5 million to $7 million revenue that will be coming into the country on a daily basis,” Dangote said.

He said that as part of its export program, DIL will be the major supplier of foreign exchange earnings in Nigeria, and that the operations of Nigerian ports would double in the next two years.

Dangote promised to frequently highlight the port situation to enable the Federal Government to consider NPA for necessary support.

He commended NPA for encouraging export at the various ports across the country.

“The interaction between NPA and DIL is very important for the growth of the industry and to deepen the Marine and Blue Economy, and we have agreed to collaborate for the benefit of Nigeria.

“The size of our own operation at Lekki alone is going to be almost 240 ships of crude, with each ship carrying one million crude each. And then we’ll have products that will amount to over 600 ships in a year.

“Then we also have our fertilizer operation, which will be loading almost eight ships. This is an operation that has never, ever been seen in the country,” Dangote said.

He explained operational challenges with export, adding that he hoped they would be resolved and that they would be able to deliver with the present leadership of NPA.

Dangote said that their operation could falter if the company was not given the necessary requirements needed for their operations.

He acknowledged the need for the Federal Government to support NPA with more equipment such as tugboats, among others.

In his remark, the Managing Director of NPA, Dr Abubakar Dantsoho, thanked Dangote for commending the authority for the benefits of the Naira for Crude sale policy of the Federal Government.

Dantsoho also praised Dangote for appreciating the establishment of the One Stop Shop policy on the Naira for Crude deal, being coordinated by the Nigerian Port Authority.

“Dangote appreciated the fact that the government initiative has contributed immensely to achieving more efficiency in the area of transactions and operations among Nigerian government agencies.

“This is something that started on the 1st of October 2024, and so far, we have treated or operated over 57 vessels every month.

The projected volume that Dangote is looking at per annum is 600 vessels.

“If you do 56, 57 vessels into 12 months, you will see that we are already doing bigger than the projection. We will continue to do our best with support from government,” Dantsoho said.

“The last time government built a new port in Nigeria was 1977, which was Tin-Can Island Port. There is already an approval for the port modernisation of both Tin-Can and Apapa ports.

“We are looking at maybe the third quarter of this year to commence construction, which is on the brownfield development.

“On the greenfield part, we have deep seaport development projects that have already been approved by the Federal Executive Council. We have Ibom Port, Bakasi Port, Olokola, Ondo Port, and Badagry in Lagos.

“These are new ports that the government is concerned about. Very soon, we’ll begin to see that these ports will become reality,” Dantsoho said.

NPA boss said that 95 per cent of cargoes approved through the National Single Window established by the government were ready for the Port Community System.

He urged other government agencies to collaborate to enhance port efficiency, adding that other sectors of the economy would witness progress as well.

 

.Lagos:   (NAN)/Flowerbudnews:  The Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) and the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) have inaugurated the Ports and Customs Efficiency Committee (PCEC) to enhance efficiency and improve the ease of doing business at the nation’s seaports.

The Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Alhaji Kashim Shettima, said this at the inaugural meeting of the PCEC held in Lagos on Thursday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Vice President, represented by the Director General of PEBEC, Ms Zahrah Audu, said improving efficiencies at the nation’s seaports would reduce cargo dwell time and improve vessel turnaround and turnover for customers.

According to her, the committee was launched to change the narrative of missed opportunities in the maritime sector, unlock potential opportunities, and enhance Nigeria’s economy.

Shettima explained that improving efficiencies in Nigerian ports could drastically reduce the average cargo dwell time and turnover time for customers, eliminate the duplication of documentation and manual processes and ensure customer satisfaction.

“This is not just another one of our reforms; this is about resilience, unlocking potential opportunities, and enhancing Nigeria’s economy.

“This is not just a committee made up of government forces for change, but also includes many private sector stakeholders.

(From L-R
Rear Admiral Michael Oawen, Deputy Comptroller General of Customs in Charge of Tariff and Trade, Caroline Niagwan, the Director General, Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), Ms Zahra Audu and the Managing Director, Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA), Dr Abubakar Dantsoho during the inauguration of the PEBEC committee held in Lagos on Thursday)

“It is a call to action for terminal operators to improve infrastructure and for shipping companies to increase efficiency to reduce delays.

“There is a need for freight forwarders to uphold compliance and for regulators to reduce bureaucratic bottlenecks.

“It is a call for shared ownership of our shared problem and a commitment to deliver a shared solution,” she said.

Shettima stated that the Customs committee was established to go beyond identifying problems and begin implementing the solutions that were long overdue.

(A group picture of ports stakeholders, Government agencies and dignities during the inauguration of the PEBEC committee held in Lagos on Thursday)

During the interactive session, Audu attested that Nigeria lost a significant amount every single day due to inefficiencies at the ports.

“These are not just numbers; these are missed opportunities.

“They represent jobs not created, goods not delivered, investments not realized and economic growth that is unnecessarily delayed.

“The Ports and Customs Efficiency Committee has been established to change this narrative, to go beyond identifying the problems we already know and begin implementing the solutions we all agree are long overdue.

“At PEBEC, our mandate has been very clear: to remove bureaucratic bottlenecks that hinder people from doing business at Nigerian seaports.

“Since 2016, we have driven over 200 reforms across sectors, collaborating with ministries, departments, agencies, and the private sector. Since I came on board, I’ve taken it one step further.

“So, beyond passing or helping pass reforms or policies, it’s time for us to focus on the implementation and practical output of what these reforms can translate into. This is why this committee is important to us,” Audu said.

She said that the Ports and Customs Efficiency Committee was not an observer group but an action-oriented, high-impact one, charged with driving sustainable improvement in service delivery at Nigerian ports.

Audu affirmed that the committee would work hand-in-hand with agencies like the Nigerian Ports Authority, the Nigerian Customs Service, other government agencies, and all stakeholders within port operations, adding that it was a reform ecosystem that would accommodate key players.

Speaking earlier, the Managing Director of NPA, Dr Abubakar Dantsoho, said the authority was currently addressing four major pillars critical to repositioning the nation’s seaports to compete effectively with regional counterparts.

According to him, investment in infrastructure, equipment, technology and human capacity will improve the competitiveness and operational efficiency of the nation’s seaports.

Dantsoho affirmed that port infrastructure, particularly in Apapa and Tin Can Island ports, was aged and in dire need of rehabilitation.

Dantsoho said that Tin Can port was constructed about 48 years ago and Apapa almost 100 years ago, adding that no major rehabilitation had taken place all these years.

He noted that the Federal Government had recently approved the reconstruction of both ports, which would significantly improve berth depth and cargo handling capacity.

On the technological front, the NPA boss disclosed that the authority was working closely with the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to deploy the Port Community System (PCS), which he described as the backbone for the National Single Window.

He said that PCS would eliminate paperwork and reduce human interface, thereby improving transparency, reducing costs, and boosting efficiency and revenue generation.

In terms of human capital, Dantsoho said the NPA was intensifying efforts to upgrade the skills of pilots and technical personnel to meet modern navigational and operational demands.
He reiterated the importance of inter-agency collaboration across operational areas, adding that NPA could not do it alone.

Dantsoho said that efficiency should cut across all segments for Nigeria to truly optimize revenue and compete globally.

The Deputy Comptroller in Charge of Trade and Tariff, Caroline Niagwan, called for the need to implement measures that require Public-Private Partnerships, as well as regular commitment, to enable the government to achieve ease of doing business.

Niagwan said that for Nigeria to achieve port effectiveness, there should be sustained investment in infrastructure, cargo handling equipment and efficiency.

Also in his contribution, Rear Admiral Michael Oamen pledged the navy’s support in ensuring no piracy attacks occur in Nigerian territorial waters, which he said would give foreign investors opportunities to call at Nigerian ports