Headlines

NPA designates Lilypond terminal as non-oil export processing facility

Opeyemi Adesogbon

The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) on Thursday affirmed the designation of the Lilypond Container Terminal in Ijora, Lagos as a specialized processing and handling facility for the exportation of the country’s locally made finished and agricultural goods.

The Managing Director of the NPA, Mr. Mohammed Bello-Koko explained that the move would ease the bureaucratic and logistical bottlenecks faced by exporters, thereby promoting better access of the country’s non-oil exports into international markets.

The NPA MD made the pronouncement at the NPA’s Special Day celebration at the ongoing 43rd Kaduna International Trade Fair in Kaduna State, where he disclosed that the Lilypond Terminal would offer exporters a one-stop space to carry out their transactions at a reduced cost and time, thereby increasing their profit margin and competitiveness in the international market.

According to him, the fair’s 2022 theme: “Re-strategizing Nigerian Economy for Global Competitiveness” underscores the Federal Government’s agenda on the diversification of the economy away from reliance on hydrocarbons, by focusing on industrial development, especially local manufacturing and large scale food production.

He said the NPA has initiated several strategies to maximise the movement of non-oil exports across the country’s borders.

“We are currently in discussion with the terminal operators to give priority to the exportation of agricultural produce and solid minerals, this will stimulate our domestic economy, create thousands of jobs and increase the revenue profile of government at all levels”, he posited.

Belo-Koko further said that ‘’the Nigerian port industry remains a prime economic driver, bearing in mind that 85 per cent by volume of the country’s trade are handled through the port.

”Maritime transport remains the main gateway to the global marketplace. Ocean ports are a central and necessary component in facilitating trade among nations.

”Ports are catalysts for economic development as they enable trade and support supply chains. Recognizing how huge our role as custodian of ports necessitates continuous participation at Trade Exhibitions like this”, he stated.

The NPA helmsman expressed the strong belief that Nigeria should be the hub of international trade in Africa, being the largest economy on the continent.

“If we can harness those immense talents of our huge, enterprising, intelligent and determined youths, along with the vast array of natural resources we are endowed with, Nigeria will be among the first world countries in a decade”, he remarked.

Sharing with his audience plans by the Authority to position Nigerian seaports as the preferred destination of cargo in the region, Bello Koko said the ‘’Nigerian Ports Authority has led the campaign for the actualization of the first of its kind, the Lekki Deep Seaport, which has reached 81 percent completion stage.

He disclosed that operations at the new port are expected to commence in the last quarter of the year.

“The Lekki Deep Seaport is designed to be the deepest port in West Africa and will be a significant game-changer in Nigeria’s maritime economy. This multi-purpose port is expected to generate more than 170,000 direct and indirect jobs when completed, ” he said.

Furthermore, to encourage quick and easy processing of imports, the Authority has begun the implementation of the Nigerian Port Process Manual (NPPM) in conjunction with sister agencies, engender transparency, efficiency and reduce the cost of doing business at the port.

The manual outlines the harmonized Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) of Agencies operating in the maritime industry.

Koko emphasised that NPPM would foster a very conducive environment for port users, streamline inspection and examination of cargo, check exploitation and corrupt tendencies by service providers, among other benefits.

He commended the organisers of the fair for putting up another successful event.

“I am highly excited that Kaduna Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines & Agriculture (KADCCIMA) has continued to provide the platform for entrepreneurs to network and thrive”, he said.

He charged the Kaduna Chambers of Commerce and Industry to brace up for the digital economy while urging the Chamber to join in the campaign to market the economic benefits of the Kaduna Inland Dry Port (KIDP) to the business community in the State.

The dry port facility will help bring shipping services closer to business owners and residents of Kaduna, as it can handle both import and export cargoes, he added.

In his welcome remarks, President of the Kaduna Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (KADCCIMA), Alhaji Suleiman Aliyu described NPA as the artery of the nation’s economy, in view of its strategic role in trade facilitation and providing access for businesses to trade across international borders.

He acknowledged that Nigeria recently signed an agreement that would enhance the flow of goods between Nigeria and Chad.

Aliyu, represented by Surveyor Ishaya Idi, Vice President of the Chamber, commended the Authority for its steadfastness and contribution to the growth of the Chamber, just as he expressed his organization’s desire to sustain the robust collaboration with the custodian of the nation’s gateway.

Headlines

Customs Steps Up Nationwide Green Tax Awareness Ahead of July 1 Rollout

Funso OLOJO, Editor

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intensified its nationwide sensitisation campaign ahead of the July 1, 2026 implementation of the Green Tax Surcharge and related fiscal adjustments, aimed at promoting environmental sustainability and encouraging the importation of cleaner vehicles.

The awareness campaign, held on Friday July 26th, 2026 at the Apapa Area Command, brought together Customs officers, licensed customs agents, freight forwarders, importers and other key stakeholders under the theme: “Implementation of the Green Tax Surcharge and Related Fiscal Adjustments.”

Representing the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, the Zonal Coordinator, Zone A, Mohammed Babadende, said the exercise was designed to ensure stakeholders fully understand the policy before its implementation.

“This sensitisation is designed to ensure that every stakeholder clearly understands the policy before implementation. Our objective is to eliminate uncertainty, promote voluntary compliance and guarantee uniform application of the Green Tax Surcharge across all commands,” Babadende stated.

Delivering a technical presentation, the Comptroller in charge of Tariff, System Audit and Coordination, Murtala Muazu, explained that the Green Tax Surcharge is different from conventional fiscal measures and would therefore require a separate assessment process.

He disclosed that the Service has simplified implementation through the HS Code declaration platform to facilitate seamless compliance by importers and clearing agents.

Muazu also revealed that the Federal Government has reduced import levies on vehicles from 20 per cent to 10 per cent, while import duty on used vehicles has been slashed from 15 per cent to five per cent to cushion the impact of the new environmental surcharge.

Area Controllers who participated in the sensitisation urged importers, licensed customs agents and the trading public to embrace the initiative, stressing that the reduction in import levies would lower the cost of doing business, promote legitimate trade and ultimately reduce transportation costs.

Stakeholders welcomed the policy but called for sustained public enlightenment to deepen understanding and ensure seamless compliance ahead of the July 1 commencement date.

Headlines

Beyond Lagos: The untold realities of Nigeria’s Eastern corridor seaports

Monday Discourse with Ibrahim Nasiru

When the World Bank and S&P Global recently released the 2025 Container Port Performance Index (CPPI), the headlines understandably erupted in celebration.

For Tin Can Island and Apapa to land in the global Top 20 for performance gains is undoubtedly a historic milestone.

Yet, for seasoned maritime analysts and industry stakeholders, a glaring question remains: what about the rest of Nigeria’s coastlines?

While the satellite data accurately captures a localized turnaround in the Lagos pilotage districts, it simultaneously masks a stark regional imbalance.

The narrative of Nigerian maritime modernization cannot begin and end in Lagos.

To truly turn the tide, the conversation must expand to the Eastern Corridor encompassing Onne Port, Port Harcourt Port, Calabar Port, and Warri Port.

The fundamental issue is that the World Bank’s CPPI relies strictly on automated vessel AIS data tracking.

It registers a win when ship turnaround times shrink at a berth, but it completely shuts out the structural and geographical deficiencies that prevent large vessels from even sailing into Eastern waters in the first place.

Modern deep sea shipping lines require drafts starting at 15 meters.

While multi-billion naira investments and natural depths allow Lagos and the expanding Lekki Deep Sea Port to receive mega-vessels, Calabar Port remains severely hindered by an un-dredged channel hovering around a shallow 6 to 7 meters.

Port Harcourt suffers from similar shallow constraints. Without aggressive, patriotic capital dredging projects, the devils in the details ensure that these regional Ports remain underutilized, regardless of how much digitization is deployed on paper.

It is easy for policymakers to announce massive financial interventions.

Critics are entirely right to point out that the Federal Government’s massive Port modernization plans must yield measurable metrics on the ground, not just political headlines.

However, recent data shows that commercial viability is waiting to be unlocked.

In overall cargo throughput metrics, Onne Port has consistently proven that the Eastern flank possesses massive economic power when given the operational room to breathe.

The roadmap for greenfield developments like the Ibom deep seaport and others exists, but real execution under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) framework will be the ultimate judge of these investments.

The current operational reality forces an unnatural economic bottleneck.

Importers in the South-East and South-South regions frequently clear their goods in Lagos, only to transport them across hundreds of kilometers of volatile highways back to Eastern markets.

This layout drives up logistics expenses, completely wiping out the macro efficiencies celebrated in recent National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) trade surplus figures.

The next institutional hurdle for the Managing Director of the NPA, Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, and the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, is the implementation of a unified, cooperative Port development strategy.

This requires more than just launching an electronic call-up system; it demands a deliberate re-alignment of tariff structures that actively incentivizes shipping consortia to divert traffic to regional hubs.

Ultimately, a Port system is only as strong as its weakest link. Celebrating the World Bank validation of Apapa and Tin Can is fair, but treating it as a nationwide victory is premature.

Until the institutional bottlenecks, channel depths, and security challenges of the Eastern Corridor seaports are solved with the same urgency applied to Lagos, Nigeria’s maritime sector will continue running on half its cylinders.

True maritime competitiveness is not won by building an elite logistics island in one state, but by unlocking the full economic potentials of the nation’s entire coastline.

Chief Ibrahim Nasiru, a public affairs Analyst, writes from Abuja

Features

Beyond Lagos ports: Why NPA should position Eastern ports for global recognition

Chief Nasiru Ibrahim

Monday Discourse with Ibrahim Nasiru focuses on why government should look beyond Lagos ports and position Eastern ports for global recognition.

Our feature last week on the World Bank Top 20 ranking for Tin Can and Apapa Ports sparked an intense industry debate.

The biggest question raised: What about the rest of Nigeria’s coastlines?

Dropping tomorrow morning, June 29th, 2026,we go beyond the Lagos headlines to break down the hidden operational realities of Nigeria’s Eastern Ports.

Don’t miss “Beyond Lagos: The Untold Realities of Nigeria’s Eastern Corridor Seaports”