NPA says Port Community System to go live in weeks as FEC approval nears

The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) said that its long-awaited Port Community System will go live within weeks, as the digital platform nears final approval by the Federal Executive Council (FEC).

Abubakar Dantsoho, managing director of the NPA, said the system has reached 90 percent completion and is now awaiting clearance from the FEC before rollout.

“We are currently awaiting FEC approval, and we expect the proper implementation of this policy to begin in a matter of weeks,” he said at a stakeholders’ engagement in Lagos.

Read also: What you need to know about Nigeria’s Port Community System

The Port Community System is designed to connect key players across the maritime value chain including customs, terminal operators, shipping lines and freight forwarders on a single digital platform, enabling real-time information sharing and faster cargo processing.

Dantsoho said the system would serve as a foundation for the broader National Single Window (NSW), which went live March 27, adding that implementation would commence immediately once approval is secured.

“Once it gets the final approval, then the execution will be on course,” he said. The platform is expected to reduce paperwork, cut delays and improve coordination across Nigeria’s ports.

Read also: NPA tilts investment East to revive underused ports

The NPA director also linked recent gains in petroleum exports to improved port efficiency, saying Nigeria shipped about 500,000 metric tonnes of refined products to other African countries in the past month amid the war in the Middle East that has disrupted global trade routes.

“This achievement is a direct result of policies approved by the honourable minister, specifically the One-Stop Shop initiative, which has optimised our cargo and vessel operations,” Dantsoho said.