By Abdullahi Alhassan, Kaduna
Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, on Tuesday held strategic talks with the management of the Nigerian Ports Authority in Lagos, aimed at enhancing the state’s export capacity and integrating local producers into national and international value chains.
The governor, whose administration has prioritised economic diversification since 2019, used the meeting to explore avenues for boosting trade, investment, and industrial growth in Borno State.
Zulum was received by the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the NPA, Dr Abubakar Dantsoho, alongside Executive Director, Engr. Ibrahim Abba Umar.
The engagement builds on earlier efforts by the governor to strengthen logistics and trade infrastructure, including a similar high-level visit to the Nigerian Shippers’ Council in 2025.
During that engagement, Zulum advocated the expedited development of the Maiduguri Dry Inland Port, a strategic project designed to decentralise port services and extend them to Nigeria’s North-East region.
When completed, the facility is expected to generate employment opportunities, increase internally generated revenue, and stimulate economic activities by lowering transportation costs and easing congestion at seaports.
In a related initiative, the state government is advancing plans to operationalise the African Continental Free Trade Area framework in Banki, a border community near the Republic of Cameroon.
The project, currently at an advanced stage, is expected to position the area as a major hub for cross-border trade.
By pursuing both the Maiduguri Dry Inland Port and the Banki Free Trade Zone, the Zulum administration is implementing a coordinated strategy to industrialise the state, expand employment opportunities, and strengthen revenue generation, while reducing dependence on federal allocations.
