According to APM Terminals Apapa, non-oil cargo exports for the first half of the year (H1’24) totalled 51,000 Twenty Equivalent Units (TEUs), up 7.8% YoY from 47,000 TEUs in the equivalent year of 2023, H1 2023.

Export cargo other than oil is a vital component of APM Terminals Apapa Terminal Manager Steen Knudsen’s description of the terminal’s operations.

He said, “We have seen a steady growth in non-oil export cargo over the last four years.” The amount exported in 2020 was 53,000 TEUs. It increased to 63,000 TEUs in 2021 and 71,000 TEUs in 2022. The year 2023 saw the biggest increase in exports, with volumes reaching 94,000 TEUs, a 32% increase.

Knudsen said that the terminal will hold its second exporters’ meeting in September in an effort to sustain the boom in non-oil exports.

“Our way of supporting the Federal Government’s non-oil export drive is through the exporters’ forum,” he stated.

In essence, the conference serves as a brainstorming session where we discuss potential solutions to the nation’s exporting associations’ problems in order to enable more effective export flow into the ports.

Higher exports from Nigeria result in cheaper freight because the ships return full. To support Nigerian exporters in their business, we shall keep collaborating with our clients and other pertinent government organisations in the port.

The APM Terminals Apapa exporters’ forum was established in the middle of 2024 to give the terminal, its export clients, and shipping lines a secure platform to talk about problems that prevent export goods from entering the port.

Kayode Daniels, Head of Commercial at APM Terminals Apapa, stated: “The inaugural forum, which took place in June, was a great success. The exporters provided us with a wealth of information on how we could work together to boost export volumes by streamlining our processes. When it comes to agro-export produce, time is of the essence because storing it in containers for an extended period of time could degrade the cargo before it reaches its destination.

“We will use the input we get from the conference to enhance our operations and other related procedures related to the export of non-oil commodities. I think we can all cooperate to make the port’s export procedure more stronger.