Expert Urges Government To Prioritize Free Flow Of Export Inward Seaports

A maritime consultant , Otunba Joseph Adebowale Atoloye has appealed for the Federal Government to prioritize the free flow of export commodities along the corridors into the seaports , as part of efforts to boost revenue generation in furtherance to encourage trade facilitation.

Atoloye who doubles as the Chief Executive Officer, Waltolye Limited in a chat with DAILYFOCUS NIGERIA on Monday , lamented that exportation of the nation’s commodities overseas, faced multiple challenges along the port corridors which has frustrated shippers to venture continuously in the  kind of business.

The maritime consultant frowned at the poor traffic management by Road Marshal on such commodities adding that export is the future of nation’s economy.

He also called on the Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC) ,Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and Lagos State Traffic Management to map out strategies on the need to improve on the smooth movement of export inward the seaports without hiccups.

The shipper stated that during the peak of lockdown, there were smooth delivery of cargo movement from the seaport because of the free flow of consignments and same can be replicated for export.

The maritime consultant also decried the rate at which trucks are asked to make u turn by security agencies after days of access the ports corridors adding that such consignments are peculiar to the nation’s growth.

According to him, export most times perish along the port corridors due to delay in the process of accessing the seaports calling on the Federal government step in and proffer solutions to tackle the menace.

He lamented that a larger percentage of export rot away along the corridors due to multiple control of government agencies along the port corridor, calling on the government to review it policies to promote exported cargoes.

“Government just have to consider what we face while transporting export to the seaports. the process we face along the access road is frustrating, it is time consuming and we spend longer hours along the corridors.

“Export is the future of this country and we want the government to prioritize this process because we need to boost export.

Recall that the Executive Secretary Nigerian Shippers’ Council ,Barr. Hassan Bello had advocated for the government to convert some terminals for exportation of Nigerian commodities.

The Council in it’s analysis recently disclosed that export in 2019, Nigeria got N2.5 trillion, in 2016, it was N344 billion, 2017, N629 billion, in 2018, N1.1 trillion.

In view of this, the Council advocated for the federal government to establish Export Strategy Committee that will facilitate easy processing of export goods out of Nigeria.

By Roland Ekama