By Chidimma Efobi
The Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), Mr. Hassan Bello has said the Truck Transit Park (TTP) proposed at Ogere in Ogun State can reduce the traffic gridlock in Lagos ports.
Mr. Hassan Bello made this assertion when he led the Shippers’ Council’s management team on a working visit to Ogere Truck Park in Ogun.
According to the Shippers Council boss, “There must be proper management of the facility we intend to have here. This is just a regular park; what we need is a truck transit park. A TTP should have a chain of restaurants, hotels, petrol stations such as Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) retail outlets, etc. That is why we are currently talking to the investment section of the NNPC in partnership with the Nigerian Export-Import (NEXIM) bank to make them have interest in a standard TTP project.”
He also expressed readiness of the Council to partner with the Ogun State government in developing the truck park at Ogere into a modern state-of-the-art Truck Transit Park.
“We will have to talk with the Ogun State government to see what arrangement can be made to make it fit into what we want. We will have to involve the private sector because we are looking at a Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) arrangement for the Truck Transit Parks, so that we can involve the private sector and because of the proximity to Lagos, it can be a staging area for port operations.
Meanwhile some truck drivers, who had their trucks on the premises, said the project, when completed, will go a long way in alleviating the pains truckers go through while transiting the ports.
“We hope this TTP idea becomes a reality because most of us sleep on the road just to gain access to the ports. Aside the security implication this pose to us, it is also hazardous to our health. This initiative of the government is a good one and we hope it is completed quickly.”
