The Minister of Transport, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Ameachi, has informed that one of the key policy thrust of the federal government was to evolve a multimodal, integrated and sustainable transport system focusing more on rail and inland waterways transportation in order to boost quality connectivity within the system.
Amaechi, speaking through the Minister of State for Aviation, Sen. Hadi Sirika, said the move was necessary to boost trade and movement of goods in international trade transactions.
He made the revelation while speaking yesterday in Abuja at the opening of the sub-regional workshop on transport cost and regional connectivity of African countries, noting that it was necessary to adopt a holistic approach towards addressing the challenges of transport costs and poor connectivity facing economies in Africa.
Declaring the workshop open, Ameachi explained that in Nigeria, an enabling environment for Public Private Partnership (PPP) was being created by creating new policies, legislation and institutional framework that would aid the anticipated improvement of the sector.
He pointed out that the move must take into consideration issues like cost effectiveness, efficiency of seaports, transit corridors and efficiency of multi-modal transport systems.
He said, “It is my belief that the time has come for us in the sub-region and indeed the whole Africa to rise up and take our share of the global market by developing a global reach in our trade and enterprises. This requires connectivity nationally, sub-regionally and internationally.”
Also speaking, the executive secretary of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, Hassan Bello, noted that in view of the rapid changes in global trade, the region urgently needs effective connectivity to enhance trade, investment, tourism and development.
In his words, “We must encourage South-South trade within West and Central Africa and we then build on this to look outwards to the global market,” adding that it is worrisome that more than 50 per cent of trade from Asia to the West bypass Africa in spite of going through Africa’s coastline.”
Bello called for the need for increased vessel ownership in order to promote international trade, and regretted that, “Almost all of our imports and exports are transported by foreign ships to and from our countries.”
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