… Describes it as the most strategic port initiative since 2003
Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho has said that the implementation of a National Single Window, NSW will promote Nigeria’s standing in the comity of maritime nations and provide the reputational capital necessary for actualizing the case for the admittance of Nigeria into the Category C of the International Maritime Organization, IMO.
Dr. Dantsoho spoke at the opening of the ongoing stakeholder’s conference on NSW in Lagos.
He spoke on the impact of Single Window and trade facilitation through most single-line processes at the ports.
Highlighting the importance of the NSW and the work the authority has done to create the enabling environment for its implementation, Dantsoho said that the NPA views the project as one of the most strategic port development initiatives since the port reform of 2003.
“Now, the reason is the Single Window operations relate to over 500 million container movements in the world and over 50 billion tons of cargo through the sea, the land and the airports.
“This concrete move by His Excellency, President Ahmed Bola Tinubu, GCFR to implement the National Single Window in Nigeria will by far help to deepen the competitiveness of our ports and position the good people of Nigeria to the greater benefits of global trade.
“In our own special way, the Nigerian Ports Authority has been pursuing the idea of the port community system which is a forerunner to the Single Window nationally.
“The purpose of the port community system is primarily for Nigeria to comply with the dictates of the International Maritime Organization, Convention on Facilitation of International Maritime Traffic, whose main aim or objectives are to prevent unnecessary delays in maritime traffic, to aid cooperation between governments, and to secure the highest practicable degree of uniformity in formalities and other procedures on the port”, he noted.
Similarly, he affirmed that the World Trade Organization’s trade facilitation agreement requires member states to implement the Single Window system.
“It should be observed that the World Trade Organization’s agreement is now in force and therefore, the establishment of this National Single Window is mandatory for Nigeria.
“In recognition of the importance of this noble objective, the Nigerian Ports Authority had ahead of time, enlisted the technical guidance of the IMO for the deployment of the port community system, PCS, which, like I said earlier, is a precursor to the National Single Window, and only recently, upon our fulfillment of the necessary requirements, Nigeria was admitted as a member of the International Port Community System Association to join top-class ports in the region like Tangier Med Port of Morocco, the Port of Tema in Ghana, the Togo Port, Ivory Coast, and the Republic of Benin among others.”
He said that the NPA noted the importance of the single window and has planned and implemented its own strategy and provided leadership within the Nigerian Ports community.
“Clearly, the Ports Authority has taken a very proactive approach to embracing ICT technologies and implementing a number of its own internal activities, in the belief that the cargo operations in our ports cannot meet international best practices without the port community system.
“Clearly, the National Single Window is a central piece in the modernization of our trade facilitation, and the Nigerian Ports Authority, under the visionary leadership and supervision of His Excellency, the Honourable Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, is fully committed to a successful implementation of this programme.
“At a time like this, a phase in which Nigeria is undergoing a socio-economic turnaround, the Nigerian Ports Authority will certainly strive to match the pace and expectation of the government under the Renewable Agenda of Mr. President.
“It is important to state at this juncture that the final government implementation of the sales of crude oil to local refiners and refined petroleum products in Naira for domestic consumption, which was effective from the 1st of October, 2024 as approved by Mr. President, is today a success story.
“There is no doubt that the success of this initiative is directly connected to the establishment of a one-stop shop, which comprises all relevant government agencies and representatives of local refineries that was settled by the Implementation Committee for this initiative, and the Nigerian Ports Authority was appointed to play a role of coordinating the processes for the achievement of this seemingly lucky goal.
“I am happy to announce that so far, the OAS has demonstrated that government agencies can collaborate and work in harmony toward achieving desired goals that will move the nation forward. This is a result of the zero tolerance for delays in service delivery and timely intervention without bottlenecks.
“The OAS has ensured that the relevant agencies carried out their tasks without delay and without any chance of any corrupt practices. The process is ongoing and is getting better. It is important to note that other African countries, especially the three largest ports in Africa, in terms of size and capacity, recorded major successes because of their early adoption of both the port community system and the National Single Window.
“I would like to emphasize that our mission is to position Nigeria as a transshipment hub in West Africa, and with our strategic location, our population of over 200 million people, and a large market, the Nigerian ports will soon become the leading transshipment hub in the African region.
“We also have the opportunity to serve as a transit port to landlocked countries, since out of the 44 landlocked countries in the world,16 are located in Africa. However, this is potentially a country constrained by infrastructure challenges and competition, as neighboring countries continue to develop their port infrastructure.
“The upcoming modernization of ports is, however, aimed at bridging the gap and ensuring that our ports remain competitive within the region. There is no doubt that the implementation of the port community system is necessarily complex and, therefore, does not happen quickly.
Consequently, the Nigerian Ports Authority has been consistent in its efforts since the year 2011 to fully operate the port community system,” Dantsoho explained.
Further more, he said, “We have identified major challenges over the years, and we are working towards making a success of it. Some of the major steps that are required for a single window environment to be successfully implemented are already well established in the authority, and they include the E-SEN, Revenue Invoice Management System, the Oracle Financials, Casual and Port Profit Monitoring Information System, and others.
He also highlighted the importance of collaboration among government agencies, which is essential for the success of both the single window and the port community system.
Photo: Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, Managing Director, NPA.
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