X-RAYING DANTSOHO’S STRIDES AT NPA IN THE LAST ONE YEAR
By Timothy Paul Okorocha
For the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), the past one year has been very eventful. The focus of the Managing Director/CEO, Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, has been to deliver on given mandate, which is in maximizing trade facilitation in all facets of operations. In view of this, Dantsoho and his management team, have focused on a number of strategic measures that will promote trade facilitation. The target is to ensure that Nigeria is reckoned with by the international shipping community in terms of global standard in shipping operations. At this age of global competition in standard ports operations, Nigeria cannot be seen as lagging behind. This is even moreso with Nigerian ports surrounded by other neighbouring ports.
This explains the efforts to ensure that the nation’s seaports enjoy the best facilities. Interestingly, the management team of NPA led by Dantsoho has been so lucky in having a good working relationship with the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, who has been giving every necessary support in the repositioning programme in NPA. This has contributed immensely in Dantsoho recording impressive strides for the landlord of the port system since assuming office last year.
Dantsoho’s Devt Agenda
Since his appointment, the MD has focused on a number of projects that will impact positively in trade facilitation. Apparently worried about the decay in ports infrastructure, the NPA MD has been making frantic efforts to carry out rehabilitation. In this respect, work has begun in some of the areas where rehabilitation work is needed. Among the areas where rehabilitation work is needed include Tincan Island Port Complex, comprehensive rehabilitation of Apapa, Rivers, Onne, Warri and Calabar Port Complexes. This is expected to gulp $1bn in reconstruction. The management team is working hard to ensure that the rehabilitation work is carried out without delay considering the demand of the international maritime ecosystem.
Automation
The NPA under Dantsoho is keen in promoting digital transformation in the ports in line with what obtains in other climes. This explains why since his coming on board as the Chief Executive Officer of NPA, Dantosho made sure that Nigeria joins the International Port Community System Association (IPCSA) as this is necessary for the country’s plans for the National Single Window (NSW) project. Single window operation in Nigeria is key as the global trade best practice for the sake of electronic information exchange on movement of 500 million TEU and billion of tonnes of cargo transiting from one continent to another by sea, air and land transport modes. The NPA is also working on the Port Community System (PCS). The belief is that both the National Single Window and PCS, among others will promote efficiency and competitiveness
Export Trade Promotion
One prominent achievement of Dantsoho is the promotion of export trade. This is no doubt in realization that export trade has many benefits of attracting foreign exchange to the country and indeed balance of trade. So far, following efficient trade platform created in the ports system, Nigeria was able to record trade surplus of N5.81 trillion ($3.7 billion) in third quarter of 2024 . This was contained in report released by the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG). Similarly, the implementation by the NPA of the federal government’s policy of sale of crude and other petroleum products in Naira has saved the country Billions of FOREX earnings that would have been lost to importation.
More Deep Seaports
Under the administration of Dantsoho, the NPA is advancing efforts for the development of new deep seaports. The MD recently led the management team to finalize the agreement for the development of $1billion Snake Island Port. The port will be constructed on an 85-hectare site around the Snake Island Integrated Free Zone. This is described as a new addition to other projects such as the Badagry Deep Seaport, Calabar deep seaport, Ibom deep seaport, Ondo Deep Seaports and Burutu Ports. The new ports are currently at different stages of work being guided by the NPA.
Efficient Truck Traffic System
One of the issues confronting the nation’s ports in the past has been port congestion. To a large extent, this was caused by poor management of trucks going into the ports to pick cargo. It was so terrible that the NPA had to introduce electronic truck call up system to create an orderly movement of trucks into the ports.
This has been advanced by the current administration. Under the truck traffic management initiative, truck transit parks have been provided with the establishment of satellite truck parks. With this, trucks now take their turns to enter the ports and terminals to pick their goods. This has helped in easing traffic at the ports environment.
Rise in Ship, Cargo Traffic
There has been an impressive ship traffic since Dantsoho assumed office. This is attributed to efficient ports system. The nation’s seaports recorded an increase by five percent. The traffic grew from 3,791 in 2023 to 4,005 in 2024. Similarly, there was substantial 15.4% growth in Gross Registered Tonnage (GRT), rising from 123,660,278 to 142,660,418 tons.
The record showed that Lekki Port again led the growth trend as it recorded a 477.6% increase in ship calls, while Onne Port experienced a 5.8% increase. Again, the total container throughput recorded 9.7% increase, with 1,744,972 TEUs handled in 2024, compared to 1,591,194 TEUs in 2023, information from the NPA showed.
Containership traffic grew by 12.2%, with export-laden containers recording 53.7% rise. Transhipment container traffic was also very impressive, recording 136.5% rise. This shows that Nigeria is indeed doing well in the region in redistribution. There have also been continued rise in cargo traffic. In 2024, there was substantial rise in cargo throughput. Cargo traffic rose by 45.1%, increasing from 71,213,197 metric tons (MT) in 2023 to 103,336,863 MT in 2024.
The NPA report says this increase shows heightened trade activities and improved operational efficiencies. Lekki Port led in cargo throughput growth, recording a 2,160.8% increase, followed by Onne Port with a 9.4% rise and Tin Can Island Port with 7.3% growth. The report by NPA showed that Liquid Bulk cargo accounted for the largest share at 55.6%, while containerized cargo contributed 20.9%.
Leadership of PMAWCA
Nigeria is currently the leader of Port Management Association of West & Central Africa (PMAWCA). Dantsoho was last year elected as the President of the association in what promotes Nigeria’s image in the international maritime community as well as the sub-region. He is the first Nigerian to have been elected since its establishment in 1972. With this position, Nigeria is indeed well positioned in her bid to seek election into the Category C” seat of the International Maritime Organization (IMO).
Promoting Eastern Ports
In a bid to increase the patronage of the ports outside Lagos, the NPA management under Dantsoho has been working on encouraging shippers to use Rivers, Onne, Calabar ports. The MD had undertaken investment tour of the Eastern ports. It was gathered that following this, the NPA has been receiving expression of interest to invest in Rivers, Calabar and Burutu ports.
In view of this, one of the terminal operators, West Africa Container Terminal (WACT)-APM Terminals Nigeria received Hapag-Lloyd, popular as one of the world’s leading liner shipping agencies. The liner launched its service at the terminal. The WACT-APM Terminals Nigeria Onne port, marked the partnership with Hapag-Lloyd’s weekly shipping service, directly connecting East Nigeria to global trade routes, according to NPA report. .
The CEO of APM Terminals Nigeria, Frederik Klinke, said this was the launch of Hapag-Lloyd as a shipping line in East Nigeria, and not a maiden call. He described this as an important milestone and indication of the strong partnership that APM Terminals has globally with Hapag-Lloyd.
He was quoted saying , “this is an important milestone in East Nigeria for building its potential. We in APM Terminals have a very strong belief in the East Nigerian market. We are very proud of the partnerships that we have with our shipping line customers, now, with Hapag Lloyd being among them, and our government partners as well as the customers that we serve in East Nigeria. What we are really trying to do is to lift the East Nigerian market. There is a lot of trade potential that requires better logistic solutions.
The Country Managing Director, Hapag-Lloyd, Himmat Ahlawat, described Nigeria as one of the most important markets while also reiterating that customer service is the biggest priority for the Hapag-Lloyd team.
“We consider Nigeria as one of the most important markets if not the most important in Africa and Eastern Nigeria. Without calling Eastern Nigeria, our ambitions here will remain unfulfilled. In Hapag Lloyd, the biggest priority we have is customer service. If there are no customers and our customers are not happy, then we have no right to exist. So, our actual stated aim is to be the undisputed king of customer service. So that is something we should bring on the table, because we use a variety of digital tools to help our customers, which the rest of the market has still not started using.”
Labour Promotion
One of the things that the NPA MD has done so far is in improving the conditions of workers in the authority. He has addressed issues affecting employees since he assumed office. Noting that so many workers have been under stagnation in one position for years, Dantshoho has since addressed this issue with workers assuming their rightful positions through promotion.
This has been applauded by the Maritime Workers Union (MWUN) and the senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations and Government Owned companies (SSASGOC). Both Minister of Marine & Blue Economy Adegboyega Oyetola and Dantsoho have been commended by the coalition of Maritime Workers for settling their age long backlog problem of employee stagnation.
The NPA boss had also increased the productivity bonus of the workers, provided end-of-year welfare items for the workers agency. Observers see the good gesture of the MD to the workers as promoting the momentum for higher productivity in the organization necessary for the achievement of the set target at hand.