‘Agric, Solid Minerals Export crucial to Economic Diversification’

The Federal Government must seek to boost agricultural and solid minerals export to boost its economic diversification drive, the Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority, Mr. Habib Abdullahi, has said.

He said the agency had therefore keyed into the Federal Government’s agenda to diversify the economy by focusing on ways to encourage the export potential of agricultural products and solid minerals.

Abudullahi, who noted that the ports were currently littered with empty containers, described the situation as an indication of the nation’s mono-economic model, which had been largely import-driven in the past with majority of the ships coming into the country going out empty.

He said, “We can encourage people to export their agricultural produce and solid minerals as a way of helping to diversify the economy.

“The diversification will help to shift the focus from import to export, so we can take advantage of the containers lying idle. This is one of the areas we think we can diversify and increase revenue thereby compensating for the losses from the oil sector.”

Abudullahi said the NPA had therefore written a letter to the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and the Nigerian Export Promotion Council over the development.

According to him, the agency is reorienting the terminal operators to support this trend, while at the same time strategising with the Nigeria Customs Service to see possible areas of engagement and collaboration to ensure that some terminals can be solely dedicated to export.

He said, “We are trying to see how we can make Ikorodu an export port. We also have some interested parties coming in to help our dedicated cause. For example, we have received proposals for Ilaje Port in Ondo; they want to make the port dedicated to solid minerals.”

The NPA boss debunked claims that importers preferred the Cotonou port as cheaper and better alternative to the Nigerian ports to import cars and other goods due to high charges.

Rather, he noted that people only complained about port congestion.

Abdullahi emphasised that Nigerian ports were competitive in terms of pricing, adding that there were currently five applications for people to have seaport in Nigeria.

This, he said, was a true reflection that the country and the government had positioned the economy for future growth.

He mentioned new port development projects such as the Lekki Port, Badagry Port, Ibom Port and the proposals on Ilaje as new investment opportunities that would stimulate further growth of the Nigerian economy.