APM Terminals Apapa has announced a 7.8% year-on-year increase in non-oil export volumes for the first half of 2024, with exports reaching 51,000 Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs), compared to 47,000 TEUs in the same period of 2023. Steen Knudsen, the Terminal Manager, highlighted that non-oil exports have become a key focus for the terminal, which has seen consistent growth in this sector over the past four years. Export volumes have steadily risen from 53,000 TEUs in 2020 to 63,000 in 2021, and 71,000 in 2022. The most significant growth came in 2023, when export volumes surged to 94,000 TEUs, marking a 32% increase.
To further support this upward trend, APM Terminals Apapa is gearing up to host its second exporters’ forum in September 2024. Knudsen emphasized the importance of the forum as a collaborative platform, bringing together the terminal, exporting associations, and relevant stakeholders to address key challenges in the export process. “The exporters’ forum is our way of supporting the Federal Government’s non-oil export drive,” Knudsen stated, adding that improving export efficiency will ultimately reduce shipping costs, as fully loaded vessels avoid returning empty.
Kayode Daniels, Head of Commercial at APM Terminals Apapa, noted the success of the first forum, held in June 2024. “The feedback we received from exporters has been invaluable in helping us identify ways to streamline our processes and improve export volumes, especially for time-sensitive goods like agro-exports,” Daniels said. With agricultural products, he explained, delays in shipment can compromise the quality of the goods before they reach their destination.
The upcoming forum will continue to focus on enhancing operations and addressing bottlenecks that hinder the smooth flow of non-oil exports into the port. Both Knudsen and Daniels reiterated APM Terminals’ commitment to working closely with exporters, shipping lines, and government agencies to strengthen Nigeria’s non-oil export sector and facilitate its continued growth.
