The Managing Director of Truck Transit Park Limited (TTP) Mr Jamal Onwubuariri says port infrastructure and technology deployment is not sufficient for the volume of cargo that comes into the country.
Onwubuariri said this at the Transportation Corespondents Association of Nigeria’s(TCAN) summit held in Lagos.
He spoke on the theme,’Driving the Transport Logistics Value Chains for Economic Growth’.
The TTP boss noted that apart from challenges of road and port infrastructure, delays at the borders is another challenge.
“In July, I took a 6000Km road trip from Nigeria to Liberia in enable me see what our road transport infrastructure is like, the challenges and the opportunities.
“We have infrastructure gaps, the roads we have, both here in Nigeria and across the West African region is not sufficient for the volume of road traffic.
The second challenge is that our ports in terms of their infrastructure and technology deployment is not sufficient for the volume of cargoes that comes into this region,'' he said.
He added that he saw Nigerian drivers who drive from Sokoto, taking cargo such as tomato, yam or onions to either Tema Port or Abidjan port, and they spend two to three weeks on the roads to deliver these cargoes and return.
"What this means is that they do not spend quality time with their families, do not have rest areas where they can stop and rest for the night.
"In terms of opportunities, technology companies like us can assist the government at borders posts and at ports, in order to put in place technological solutions that will enhance movement of goods and people.
"We need to invest more in infrastructure and our government alone cannot do it,'' he said.
He noted that private companies could invest in infrastructures, rest stops and even technology with the lots of money floating around, both informally and formally.
Onwubuariri added that this would ensure that they drive trade and investments in the country.
Also contributing on investment, Mr Francis Brown from Dangote Industries Ltd., said the recent development in oil and gas industry shows that Dangote Industries Ltd, was actually an active participant in Nigeria industrial development.
The company has brought in some thousands of Compressed Natural Gas powered trucks and nobody is expected to lose anything with its deployment but it will impact positively on people.
“This will ensure more trucks for free distribution of fuel, and ensure that transport cost which is pushed to the consumer is taken away,” he said.
He added that by the time the intistive gains ground, it meant that Nigerians could buy fuel from any part of the country.
