The Managing Director of Nigerian Ports Authority, (NPA) Hadiza Bala Usman has announced the collaboration of the Authority with relevant establishments and foreign firms towards increased bilateral trade ties for mutual benefits.

Speaking at a maritime conference in Lagos, the Managing Director, represented by the Assistant General Manager, Commercial and Ports Promotion,  Mallam Abdulrahman Lamina, stated that technology transfer and information sharing would assist in the standardization of products for international markets.

According to Usman, “Government efforts in achieving single window Operations is to enhance swift clearance of goods which would help to encourage the growth of businesses within the ports industry”. She added that enhanced security profile at the port would attract sustained investments to the sector and put the country in line with the dictates of the International Maritime Organization’s, IMO,  regulations on Safety of Life at Sea, SOLAS and the International Ships and Ports Security, ISPS Code.

The NPA MD informed stockholders that the Federal Government is working towards the deployment of top grade technologies and automation such as the Command, Control and Communication and Intelligence Unit, CCCI and the Revenue Invoicing Management System RIM,  series which would ensure quick financial transactions and the blocking of revenue leakages at the Ports. These she equally identified would help enact a greater enabling environment in attracting Foreign Direct Investments, FDIs in the country.

Above all, Bala Usman postulated that developing a sustainable trade relations with nations, would create employment, build foreign exchange reserve and ultimately boost the country’s Gross Domestic Product, GDP.

Managing Director of Green View Development Nigeria Ltd, GDNL,  represented by the Head of Human Resources and Administration, David Agunbiade asserted that it should be easy to create jobs in the Nigerian Maritime Industry especially with the high grade of natural and human resource endowments supported with a conducive all year round stable geographic and climatic conditions.

According to the Director Institute of Maritime Studies University of Lagos, Prof. Olusoji Ilori, “the Maritime Industry is key to the development of any Economy”, he therefore charged the government to endeavor to plough back heavily into the industry in order to boost the nation’s economy.