Stakeholders bemoan dilapidated state of South-East roads

Stakeholders in the shipping industry in the South-East region of Nigeria have bemoaned the dilapidated state of South-East roads, particularly the interstate roads, and urged the Federal Government to as a matter of urgency, rehabilitate the roads.

They also urged the Federal Government to invest massively in the development of inland waterways to complement the road networks in the country.

The stakeholders in a communiqué issued after a day seminar titled, “Addressing the transport and logistics challenges of South-East shippers,” organised by the Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC) South-East zonal coordinating office, Aba, Abia State, recommended that ports in the country should be accessed by a well interconnected transport networks made up of roads, rail and inland waterways for easy transportation of cargoes.

They also urged the Nigerian Customs Service to minimise the benchmarking of duties paid on goods to avoid high cost of clearing goods and consequent collapse of shipping trade businesses, as well as simplify the documentation processes to facilitate international trade.

The participants welcomed the appointment of NSC as the economic regulator of ports in the country and assured the Council of their unflinching support and alliance towards effective regulation.

Christian Chimezie, zonal coordinator, NSC, South-East zone, said the seminar was organised to address the intractable transport and logistics challenges confronting South-East shippers, especially as it concerned international trade.

He affirmed that the seminar provided opportunity for stakeholders to brainstorm and proffer workable solutions to the transport challenge, which affects the nation’s economy.

As the country’s ports economic regulator, the NSC South-East zone coordinator stated that the vision of the Council was to make the ports efficient and effective to reduce diversion of cargoes from Nigerian ports to neighbouring countries.

He explained also that the Council was saddled with the responsibility of promotion and building modern infrastructure at the ports and to guide against monopoly, while encouraging competition.

Chimezie further said the Council’s services spanned six zonal offices and 15 area offices with three offices located in the South-Eastern towns of Aba, Onitsha, and Enugu.

He revealed that the Council had facilitated the development of transport infrastructure, such as Inland Container Depot (ICD) and Truck Transit Park project, in many locations nationwide, including Isiala Ngwa, Abia State, and Obollo Afor, Enugu State.