Abuja – The Federal Government has established seven National Freight Offices (NFOs) at strategic borders, to check ineffective border management, a statement issued by the Ministry of Transportation has said.
The statement was signed by Mr Taiwo Shobajo, the media officer in the ministry and made available to the news Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Thursday.
It said that the Minister of Transportation, Mr Rotimi Amaechi, unveiled the development during the 5th Conference of Borderless Alliance held in Cotonou, Benin Republic.
NAN reports that private sector stakeholders formed the Borderless Alliance with a view to boosting trade across West Africa with increased benefits and it was formally inaugurated in May 2012.
According to the statement, Amaechi said that the NFOs will provide a one-stop- shop for the operation of various institutions and agencies that man the borders.
“Already, the NFO at illela in Sokoto state is 70 per cent completed while effort is being made to begin the construction of the NFO at Seme border, Badagry.’’
The minister listed other measures by the Federal Government to promote sub- regional trade links among ECOWAS countries.
They include the include establishment of Borders Information Centre (BICs), and sea and rail link projects and Rail links as well as others.
He said that the BIC project was carried out in conjunction with USAID and the West Africa Trade Hub (WATH), to give adequate information to cross-border traders, to effectively carry out seamless trade.
Amaechi, while assuring the organisation of the Federal Government’s support, urged Benin Republic to encourage all member states, including Nigeria, to invest in Cotonou.
He said this was possible if that country could offer a lower tax regime and better infrastructure than other countries.
He informed the conference that Nigeria had put in place some measures to attract investors from other countries within the West African sub-region.
The statement quoted the President of Borderless Alliance, Mr Ziad Hamoui, as saying that the membership strength of the organisation has risen to 80 since its inauguration.
Hamoui said that the theme of the conference, which was “Regional Integration through Trade and Transport Developments’’, was carefully chosen to reflect the trends and challenges across the West Africa sub-region. (NAN)
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Freight
Abuja, May 26, 2016 (NAN) The Federal Government has established seven national freight offices at strategic borders, to check ineffective border management, a statement issued by the Ministry of Transportation has said.
This development was contained in a statement signed by the Media Officer of the Ministry, Mr Taiwo Shobajo, in Abuja.
It said that Border-less Alliance of Governments’ support, insisted that Benin Republic should encourage all ECOWAS member-states including Nigeria to invest in her country.
According to the statement, Nigeria on its part has put some measures in place, to attract investors from other countries within the West African sub region.
It stressed the need for the business community in the sub region to take the advantage of Nigeria’s economic climate and its proximity to the West African nations, to site their factories in the country.
It said that it was easier, less costly, hitch free to do business in Nigeria, adding that Nigeria was the biggest and largest market in the West African sub region.
“Federal Government has made frantic efforts to address the issue of ineffective border management by establishing seven National Freight Offices (NFO) to be located at strategic border posts.”
It said that the NFO would provide a one – stop- shop for the operations of various institutions and Agencies that man the borders.
“Already, the NFO at Illela in Sokoto State is 70 per cent completed, while an effort is being made to begin the construction of NFO at Seme Border, Badagry.
“Other measures have been made so far by Nigerian government to promote a sub-regional trade links amongst ECOWAS countries.
“These include establishment of Borders Information Centres (BICs) and Sea-link and Rail-link projects, as well as others.
“BIC is a project carried out in conjunction with USAID and West Africa Trade Hub (WATH) to give adequate information to cross –border traders, to effectively carry out seamless trade.”
It said that President Muhammadu Buhari had approved a National Single Window for easy movement of goods along the ECOWAS trade corridors.
It said that Single Window was a complete computerisation of the entire Ports entrance and the nation’s border posts, saying that the system would eliminate time-wasting components and corruption. (NAN)