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Nigerian Ports Consultative Council (NPCC) has confirmed that the Secretary General of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), H.E. Wamkele Keabetswe Mene, will deliver the keynote address at its Second Quarterly Meeting scheduled for Thursday, September 17th, 2026, at the Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.
The meeting, themed “Simplifying Cross Border Trade and Enhancing Ease of Doing Business at Our Ports,” is expected to attract key stakeholders across government, regulatory agencies, port and terminal operators, shipping and logistics companies, freight forwarders, importers, exporters and other private-sector players.
According to the NPCC Chairman, Mr. Bolaji Sunmola, the meeting will provide a platform for stakeholders to deliberate on practical strategies for improving trade facilitation, reducing operational bottlenecks and strengthening the competitiveness of Nigeria’s ports.
Mene’s participation adds a significant continental dimension to the engagement, particularly as AfCFTA implementation increasingly focuses on translating the objectives of Africa’s single market into practical improvements in the movement of goods and services across borders.
For Nigeria, the efficiency of its seaports is central to this ambition. Delays in cargo clearance, complex documentation, multiple regulatory interfaces, logistics constraints and high transaction costs can affect the ability of Nigerian businesses to compete effectively within African markets.
The NPCC meeting is therefore expected to examine how improvements in port processes can support Nigeria’s participation in intra-African trade while making the country’s ports more efficient gateways for imports and exports.
At the heart of the discussions is the need to build what stakeholders describe as the “trade muscles” of Nigeria’s ports – strengthening service delivery, improving coordination among agencies and creating a more predictable operating environment for businesses.
The discussions are also coming against the backdrop of ongoing efforts to digitalise trade and port processes, including initiatives aimed at reducing manual procedures, improving transparency and facilitating faster cargo movement.
Beyond its quarterly meetings, the NPCC serves as a consultative platform connecting maritime industry stakeholders with government and regulatory authorities. Through advocacy, stakeholder engagement, research and advisory interventions, the Council provides a channel for identifying operational challenges and developing recommendations aimed at improving port efficiency and competitiveness.
Its broad stakeholder composition gives the Council a strategic role in ensuring that policies affecting port operations reflect practical realities across the maritime and trade value chains.
Thursday’s engagement is consequently expected to move beyond identifying challenges to examining workable solutions that can improve the ease of doing business at Nigerian ports.
With the AfCFTA Secretariat represented at the highest level by Mene, the meeting also offers an opportunity to link Nigeria’s domestic port reforms with the wider objectives of continental trade integration.
As African economies seek to increase intra-African commerce, efficient ports, seamless border procedures and competitive logistics systems will remain critical to determining how effectively businesses can access the opportunities created by AfCFTA.
The NPCC meeting is expected to generate perspectives and recommendations on how Nigeria can strengthen its port ecosystem and position its maritime gateways to support increased trade, investment and economic integration across the continent.
