The Executive Secretary and CEO of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council said that the covid-19 pandemic which has taken the global economy by surprise was a rude awakening for Nigeria and the world at large. He stated this at the recent visit of the National Action Committee on Transport (NACT) to the headquarters of Nigerian Shippers’ Council in Lagos. The team from NACT was led by the Secretary General and cochampion of the committee Mrs Funmi Folorunsho.
Hassan Bello stated that it is important the country wakes up to the realities of the time. “We have long advocated for our economy to be diversified, which we believe will impact our economy positively.
Speaking on the African Continental Free Trade Area agreement (AfCFTA) he stated that 52 countries have ratified this agreement which is to be effective in January 2021. This will lead to the involvement of billions of people in the economy and also a high GDP for Nigeria.”
He however noted that although the agreement is a good one and will favour those who are ready, Nigeria still has a lot of work to do in terms of readiness for the agreement. He mentioned the deficit in infrastructure of rail, road and connectivity for our ports and hinterlands as part of areas which needs to be worked on.
“A deliberate conscious action is needed from everyone to make sure trade is easy, it is not about population, vastness of hinterland or coast line, but infrastructure and processes.” he said.
He lamented that the rate at which things are done manually at the ports such as how cargo is exited from the port, 100% physical examination, long ship dwelling time, amongst others. He said these inefficiencies are preventing the country from being competitive when compared to South Africa and Ghana.
“We have become so import dependent; the terminals were not built for export. The cur-
rent culture of export delays can lead to the degrading of the commodities” he said.
He revealed that the Apapa gridlock will disappear starting March 2021 which will drive competition among the terminals. He revealed that port users can look forward to being digital and contactless. “Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) will in due time deploy electronic call up systems which will help traffic management and will make our ports competitive, the Customs are also deploying e-customs in accordance with World Customs Organisation’s recommendation with scanners, 100% physical examination will be a thing of the past.” he said.
He said the commencement of operations at the Lekki deep sea port will solve some of the challenges. He urged Nigerians not to be tired despite the long wait.
Responding to questions from the media, the co-champion of NACT, Mrs Funmi Folorunsho noted that Nigeria has over 66 items of agriculture to her advantage which need to be maximised and to do so requires the right logistics for exportation to save Nigeria from her dependence on oil.
She urged the media to become partners in the growth of Nigeria by being optimistic in their reports.