Exporters under the Association of West African Exporters and Maritime Professionals (AWAEMAP) have decried losses exceeding $10 million following the Nigerian Ports Authority’s (NPA) integration of the Nigeria Export Proceed (NXP) into the Truck Transit Park (TTP) portal. The exporters say the move has created serious bottlenecks, causing shipment delays and disrupting trade operations within just five days of implementation.
In a statement signed by AWAEMAP President Olubunmi Olumekun, the group urged the Federal Government to urgently address the situation, warning that continued delays would weaken Nigeria’s global trade competitiveness.
“The NXP implementation has introduced unnecessary operational bottlenecks, delaying shipments and increasing compliance burdens on exporters,” the statement read.
AWAEMAP argued that the move contradicts the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) Trade Monitoring System (TRMS) portal, a single-window platform designed to streamline export documentation. The exporters urged the NPA to align with this system instead of creating additional bureaucratic hurdles.
They warned that prolonged export processing times would impact government revenue, disrupt supply chains, and harm Nigeria’s Logistics Performance Index (LPI) rankings. The delays, they noted, are particularly damaging for agricultural exports, as extended processing times compromise the quality of perishable goods.
The exporters also raised concerns over missed vessel departures due to new requirements mandating that export containers be gated into terminals at least 48 hours before departure. They said this new restriction has already led to the cancellation of major contracts, undermining Nigeria’s ability to compete in the global market.
Another major concern is the Clean Certificate of Inspection (CCI) requirement, which the exporters described as unrealistic. Under the new system, all export containers linked to an NXP must obtain a CCI before entering terminals, a process that involves multiple steps:
- Stuffing all containers linked to the NXP
- Payment advisory from the Pre-Shipment Inspection Agents (PIAs) for the Nigeria Export Supervision Scheme (NESS)
- Issuance of the CCI
This process, exporters say, typically takes several days to complete, making it impractical to obtain a CCI before terminal entry. They argue that this requirement neither adds value to exports nor guarantees the repatriation of export proceeds.
“The reality is that securing a CCI before entry is operationally unrealistic. It can only be obtained after completing several regulatory steps, yet it is now being required as a precondition for accessing terminals,” AWAEMAP stated.
The exporters stressed that these new constraints would not only lead to huge financial losses but also discourage investment in the export sector. They urged the government to reconsider the policy to prevent further disruptions and allow for a more efficient and competitive trade environment.
AWAEMAP called for immediate dialogue between stakeholders, including the NPA, CBN, and export industry players, to resolve the issue and ensure a seamless export process. The group warned that if the situation persists, exporters may be forced to explore alternative shipping routes, further affecting Nigeria’s trade balance and economic stability.
