Similarly, Nigeria also has the highest number of roadblocks and checkpoints within the West African sub-region with a total of 13 illegal and legal stands, the organisation disclosed.
Speaking at a programme in Lagos put together by the Nigerian Shippers Council in collaboration with Borderless Alliance, Mr. David Nounagnon, representative of the Executive Secretary, Abidjan-Lagos Corridor Organisation, revealed that between 2011 and 2017, port dwell time in Lagos ports rose from 20 to 22 days. The representative explained that the high number of checkpoints and longer days of cargo dwell time at the ports further contributed to delays in the movement of goods in the region.
He noted that undue harassment by security personnel at the ports and at the border posts further hindered trade facilitation in the region.
Giving a comparative analysis of neighbouring countries in the ECOWAS region, the borderless representative explained that Cotonou port, as at 2017, had a total of 14 days for cargo dwell time.
According to him, Ghana’s Tema Port currently has 15 days dwell time, while Lome has the lowest port dwell time with nine days.
On the number of checkpoints along the corridor, Nounagnon noted that between 2011 and 2017, roadblocks within Nigeria dropped from 32 to 13 making it still the highest in the sub-region.
Though Ghana has the same number with Nigeria between 2011 and 2015, she had 28 checkpoints within her corridor.
However, Benin Republic has the lowest number of roadblocks within the region with a total of four checkpoints along her corridor.
Between 2011 and 2015, Benin Republic had 11 checkpoints manned by uniformed officers, while Ivory Coast currently has five. But between 2011 and 2015, they had 31 and 25 respectively.
Earlier, the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers Council, Hassan Bello, stated that the workshop was aimed at enlightening stakeholders on critical issues on trade and transport in the sub-region.
“Our current mandate on trade and transport facilitation includes the protection of investors’ interests from undue interference to guarantee return on investments and profitability, protection of consumers from arbitrary charges, enthroning transparency, efficiency and effectiveness, harmonising processes and procedures and creating and maintaining a level playing field for all stakeholders to ensure the reduction of the cost of doing business in Nigeria.
“However, this initial mandate was expanded in the year 2014 by the agency’s appointment as the economic port regulator of the nation’s port sector. It is therefore currently serving as the unbiased umpire in the conduct of the nation’s economic activities in the port sector,” Bello who was represented by the deputy director in charge of zonal service, Reverend Winner Anayo, said.
Source: Sweetcrude