We’ll work to improve revenue, says NPA MD Dantsoho

Abubakar Dantsoho, the newly appointed managing director (MD) of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), says his main goal for the agency is to increase productivity and boost efficiency for improved revenue generation for the authority and country.

Dantsoho spoke on Monday during the handing-over ceremony at the authority’s headquarters in Lagos.

He also said the authority would work tirelessly to improve efficiency, reduce costs and enhance the overall user experience in the ports.

“Our main goal is to reposition the organisation for increased productivity and greater efficiency for improved revenue generation to the Authority and country,” Dontsoho said.

“We must rise to the intense competition we face from our neighbours, we must work tirelessly to improve efficiency, reduce costs and enhance the overall user experience in our ports.

“I am confident that our predetermined objectives can be achieved through our collective efforts, therefore collaboration and teamwork will be the cornerstone of our success.

“Let me assure you that we will aim to pay closer attention to staff welfare by ensuring timely payment of emoluments, and compensations and addressing issues of training and capacity development particularly for deserving employees who add value in their areas of deployment.”

Dontsoho also said NPA will continue the digital transformation of the authority and reinforce the current efforts at deploying the port community system (PCS).

He added that the authority will pay attention to the logistics surrounding cargo arrival along the port corridor.

“We will reward hard work and develop leadership for the future stability of the NPA,” Dontsoho said.

“We will continue the digital transformation of the Authority and reinforce the current efforts at deploying the port community system (PCS) which we believe is key to our dream of total automation of our processes, thereby eliminating leakages and corruption.

“The current efforts towards infrastructure renewal and development will be enhanced. 

“In particular, we will drive, port rehabilitation and modernisation, we will pay attention to the logistics that surround the arrival of cargoes along the port corridor, their receipt at the terminals and loading onboard ships most efficiently and also cargo evacuation from our ports, deep sea ports development, to unlock the full potential of the Nigerian economy.”

‘N40BN RECORDED IN H1’

During the ceremony, Mohammed Bello-Koko, immediate-past NPA MD, said the agency recorded unprecedented revenue and remittance to the consolidated revenue fund (CRF).

According to Bello-Koko, revenue generation moved from N501 billion in 2023 to N541 billion in the first half of 2024.

“We recorded an unprecedented growth in revenue generation and remittances to the CRF from revenue of N381 billion in 2022 and N501 billion in 2023 to N541 billion in the first half of 2024 and remittances to CRF increasing from N93.4 billion in 2022 to N206 billion in 2023 and to N255 billion in the first half of 2024—surpassing our year-on-year total revenue generation and remittances in any year,” he said.

“Unprecedented tax remittances to the Federal Government ranging up to N60 billion in the period of my stewardship. 

“We raised the bar higher. Our hope and prayers are for the new management to continue on this trajectory and surpass it.”

Bello-Koko, who applauded the administration of President Bola Tinubu, said his administration was able to position the authority for improved efficiency, revenue generation, accountability, and adherence to international best practices in port management and operations.

‘My sense of fulfilment derives from the fact that we have achieved a lot and have made the Authority far better than we met it, and now handing over to a management team of distinguished professionals with the requisite character, competence, and capacity to sustain and indeed surpass the current performance trajectory.”

Bello-Koko also said for Nigeria to succeed as a nation, the country must learn from the mistakes of others and evaluate their success stories.