IN bid to boost the nation's foreign exchange (forex) earnings, the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, has started driving exports, creating ten specialized export processing terminals across the country.

Speaking to Vanguard in Lagos the NPA's Managing Director, Mr. Mohammed Bello-Koko, said that about three of the approved terminals have commenced operation.

Reacting to the appeal by the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, for export drives, he said: "Before the CBN made that appeal, we have already proactively taken steps to ensure this is done. We gave licenses to ten export processing terminals.

"The terminals are for all exporters but especially for export of agro produce and minerals. They would be processed there, tested, certified, packaged and then containerized if that is what they want to do, and the container should be sealed, and then from that location the container should be taken directly into the port and then into the vessel."

On the essence of the facilities, he stated: "What we are doing here is to reduce costs to the exporters, reduce time that it takes to ship these goods, and generally make the process faster and seamless."

But he also hinted that some of the terminals are still awaiting other agencies to activate their roles, adding, "we have written to all the relevant government agencies to have presence at those locations.

"We are also linking up the terminals to the Domestic Export Warehouses, DEW, that is been created by the Nigeria Export Promotion Council, NEPC, in the hinterland. We will them up with eight or so of the export processing terminals, so as to make it easier for the goods to come into the port.

"We have encouraged all terminal operators to also have warehouses and necessary facilities for non oil exports.