Transforming Nigeria’s Transport Sector: Experts Speak

The importance of the transport industry to the economy of any nation can never be overemphasized. The reasons are overt because the industry plays a significant role in promoting the effective functioning of other sectors of the economy.

It was this awareness and concern that led to the Inaugural Transport Leadership Lecture which was championed by Kings Communication Limited last week.

At the summit, the Guest Speaker, Prof. David Baike stressed that the transport industry in Nigeria is in a desperate situation. The former Vice Chancellor of the University of Benin (UNIBEN), noted that it will require a committed leadership that will be prepared to make sacrifices that will bail the industry from its present morass.

However, several transport experts and stakeholders were among the panel of discussants who spoke at the lecture and they emphasized on the need for the National Transport Commission Bill to be passed as well as proffering some short-term solutions to transform the nation’s transport sector.

The Chairman of the National Ports Consultative Council, Otunba Kunle Folarin admonished the Minister of Transportation, Hon. Rotimi Amaechi to lobby the National Assembly to pass the pending maritime bills.

The Ports and Harbor bill is over eight (8) years, the National Inland Waterways bill has been there for more than six (6) years and there are several other bills that will make it easier for the transport industry to work.

“We should also have an integrated transport system where there is a link between the roads the rail and the sea. We should desist from our mono-system which is focused on the road. There should be a master plan with the agencies under the transport ministry and we must seriously recognize that the maritime sector is an economic agenda in this country” he said.

Otunba likened the nation’s transport system to an animal kingdom where there is no pattern. “Baro rail lines were laid because there was agricultural produce in Baro; rail lines led to Enugu because of the coal, there was justification for these projects”. So he tasked those in authority to initiate justifiable projects.

The Acting Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Institute of Freight Forwarders and Customs Brokers (NIFFCB) Alban Igwe noted that the National Transport Policy is sacrosanct because a policy connotes vision and direction.

“If you don’t know where you are going, you can hardly arrive. So we must get the policy right and working soonest. Secondly, Nigeria is blessed as far as transport and logistics is concerned. We been relying so much on the crude oil and we hardly realize that we are blessed logistically. If you take a good look at the map of the world, Nigeria is at the centre of the world. African is between North American, South American, Asia, Europe and Australia. This is a logistic advantage” he said.

Subsequently, he recommended that a hub strategy should be at the heart of the National Transport Policy. If we define the nation as a hub port then everything should key into it. We should ensure that all the agencies work as a team to deliver the hub strategy. This should create employment and put the nation in the spotlight for good.

Barrister Emeka Akabogu said that the agenda he would set for the Minister of Transportation would be to clearly define Nigeria’s Transport Policy. Akabogu stressed the need to have projections of operations standards and economic competition within transport.

“The Minister should define the quick win for the key agencies under the transport sector. In my opinion, NPA is for structural and operational efficiency within the ports; NIMASA for shipping promotion, the ship registry should be in place and enforce Cabotage; between the Nigeria Shippers Council and the Nigeria Customs Service, they should deal with trade facilitation. For me these are quick wins which we can review and in the next 12 months, we know where we are”

However Mr. Galtima Liman, emphasized the need to ensure that there is fuel supply immediately. He explained that in the short term this will guarantee cut down the fuel prices to ensure that the cost of passenger movement is reduced.

“Lagos to Calabar for instance about N10, 000 but we can bring it down to N1, 000 to increase the level of economic activities. We could do this immediately by bringing in massive buses and ensuring that the roads are in good shape because we already have a good road network. While we await the Chinese to do the 5 years or 10 years railway, we can get the best from the roads. Consequently, we can increase capacity utilization and also improve economic activities that bring Nigeria out of the current turmoil.

By Kenneth Jukpor