Mallam Habib Abdulahi, managing director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has called on that country’s public and private sectors to facilitate export activities through its ports.

He added that factors extraneous to the authority were critical towards realizing the endeavour.

Abdulahi said the provision of appropriate port infrastructure was necessary to enhance trade in Africa’s largest economy, adding that the NPA would encourage any effort facilitating export trade.

He said seaports accounted for over 80% of International trade and commerce by volume, emphasizing that robust infrastructure was a requirement for global port competitiveness.

He explained that major infrastructural improvements and the advanced stage of the 25-year port master plan, positioned the NPA to properly meet its import and export demands.

Abdulahi said he was mindful of government’s determination to deliver an efficient port system. The NPA, he said, was consolidating and entrenching the gains made by port reforms, was facilitating and synergizing the activities of private terminal operators, shipping lines, freight forwarders and other stakeholders, and was improving existing port infrastructure.

He added that projects underway were meant to enhance port efficiency and make them more globally competitive, effective and user-friendly.