The Nigerian Ports Authority has announced Nigeria has been admitted as a member of the International Port Community System Association.

The Managing Director of the NPA, Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, disclosed this on Tuesday in Lagos while speaking at the National Single Window Stakeholder’s engagement.

He said that the country was admitted after fulfilling the necessary requirements.

Speaking on the importance of NSW, Dantsoho explained that in recognition of the importance of this noble objective, the NPA had, ahead of time, enlisted the technical guidance of the IMO for the deployment of the Port Community System, which is actually the precursor to the NSW.

“Recently, upon our fulfilment 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, Ghana, Togo, Ivory Coast, and Benin Republic, amongst others,” Dantsoho said.

He stated that the purpose of the Port Community System is primarily for Nigeria to comply with the dictates of the International Maritime Organisation, Convention on Facilitation of International Maritime Traffic.

The NPA boss explained that the main objectives of the convention are to prevent unnecessary delays in maritime traffic, aid cooperation between governments, and secure the highest practicable degree of uniformity in formalities and other procedures.

“The FAL Convention in April 2019 made it mandatory for ships and ports to exchange declarations electronically, preparatory to the enforcement of the Single Window approach in 2024,” he said.

Dantsoho added that in recognition of the importance of NSW, the NPA has planned and implemented its own strategy and provided leadership within the Nigerian ports community.

The NPA boss mentioned that the agency has taken a very proactive approach to embracing ICT technologies in implementing a number of its own internal activities.

According to him, this is due to the belief that cargo operations in the ports cannot meet international standards without the Port Community System.

Dantsoho emphasised that the NSW is a central piece in the modernisation of trade facilitation, “and the NPA under the supervision of the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, is fully committed to its successful implementation.”