Abuja’s Agro Power Can Drive Nigeria’s Non-Oil Revenue Growth – Dantsoho
The Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, has spotlighted Abuja’s central location and agricultural potential as critical anchors for Nigeria’s diversification drive and non-oil export growth.
Speaking during the NPA Special Day at the Abuja International Trade Fair, Dantsoho underscored the capital’s geographical centrality as a natural logistics hub capable of linking Nigeria’s vast agricultural hinterlands with both domestic and global markets.
Abuja: The Nerve Centre of Non-Oil Diversification
According to Dantsoho, Abuja’s location at the country’s midpoint gives it a unique advantage in driving agricultural export flows from all regions. Its accessibility makes it the ideal base for agro-industrial processing, consolidation, and export coordination.
He explained that by leveraging this centrality, Nigeria can unlock its agricultural value chain, connect rural producers to international markets, and establish competitive export clusters capable of replacing crude oil as a dominant foreign exchange earner.
“Developing local value chains for agro-allied products helps identify clusters of international demand and positions Nigerian goods more competitively in the global marketplace,” Dantsoho said.
Ports as the Engine of Hinterland Trade
At the heart of Dantsoho’s strategy is port-hinterland connectivity — the seamless linkage between Nigeria’s seaports and inland economic zones. This, he said, remains central to NPA’s mission of transforming the country into a trade-facilitating powerhouse.
By integrating inland regions such as Abuja with port operations, the NPA aims to fully harness regional comparative advantages, boost export volumes, and strengthen trade logistics.
The Managing Director emphasized that as Nigeria’s foremost trade gateway, the NPA is strategically positioned to support initiatives that expand non-oil revenue generation, foster competitiveness, and modernize logistics infrastructure nationwide.
Simplifying Exports Through Innovation: The Export Processing Terminals (EPTs)
Dantsoho revealed that the Authority has introduced Export Processing Terminals (EPTs) — a major reform designed to end years of inefficiency in Nigeria’s export system.
Each EPT serves as a one-stop shop for exporters, handling cargo consolidation, documentation, packaging, certification, and shipment through an electronic call-up system that streamlines port access.
This innovation, he explained, eliminates duplication, cuts bureaucratic red tape, and restores global competitiveness to Nigerian exports.
Furthermore, the EPTs are now integrated with Domestic Export Warehouses (DEWs) and Inland Dry Ports, in collaboration with the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC). This synergy gives SMEs and agro-processors new pathways to participate actively in the export value chain.
“Our focus is to simplify, digitize, and democratize exports,” Dantsoho said. “No business, no matter how small, should be left out of Nigeria’s export expansion agenda.”
Ports Community System and the National Single Window
Speaking on the fair’s theme, “Sustainability: Consumption, Incentives and Taxation,” Dantsoho announced that the NPA is consolidating all operational processes into a Ports Community System (PCS) — a single digital transaction gateway for port users.
The PCS will serve as the foundation for Nigeria’s long-awaited National Single Window (NSW) — a world-class digital trade infrastructure connecting all trade-related agencies and stakeholders in real time.
Once fully operational, the NSW will ensure faster cargo clearance, eliminate human interference, enhance transparency, and improve Nigeria’s ranking in the global trade logistics index.
NPA’s Open-Door Policy for Growth and Partnership
Dantsoho reaffirmed that the NPA remains open to partnerships that strengthen value creation across the supply chain. He urged exporters, investors, and trade operators to take advantage of the Authority’s interactive digital platforms designed for real-time cargo tracking, licensing, and feedback.
He emphasized that through collaboration and innovation, the Authority is connecting value creators from every corner of Nigeria to clusters of international demand, driving a new wave of export-led prosperity.
“Trade is a powerful tool for national development,” he noted. “At the NPA, we are committed to using ports as the arteries of Nigeria’s non-oil growth.”
BRANDECONOMY TAKEAWAY
The Nigerian Ports Authority under Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho is redefining the country’s trade architecture — moving beyond oil dependency to an era where ports, inland logistics, and agricultural value chains converge.
By integrating Abuja’s strategic location, deploying digital innovations like the Ports Community System and Export Processing Terminals, and empowering SMEs to export more competitively, the NPA is laying the foundation for a modern, diversified, and globally connected economy.
In the emerging trade landscape, Abuja is not just the political capital — it is becoming Nigeria’s logistics and agro-export capital.
