ABUJA: As Niger Republic perfect plans to route most of their inbound cargo through Nigeria, the nation’s seaport will in no distant time witness beehive of business activities if Nigerien importers succeed in routing their cargo through Nigerian ports.
This is as Haruna Baba Jauro, the acting director general of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) recently restated the agency’s commitment towards removing all trade barriers that could hinder seamless transition of cargo to the Republic of Niger through Nigerian seaports.
In statement signed by Lami Tumaka, head, Public Relations of NIMASA, the DG gave this assurance when the Nigerian/Nigerien Joint Commission on Transit Cargo led by the director general of the Shippers Council of the Republic of Niger, Oumarou Issoufou paid a courtesy visit to the agency in Lagos recently.
The NIMASA boss, who expressed satisfaction with the activities of the Commission, specifically in the area of trade relations between Nigeria and Niger, also noted that Nigeria and Niger can work together without barriers to ensure smooth passage of goods between both countries.
“We will continue to share ideas on how to make the relationship better and remove all barriers to successful transit of cargo between the two countries using global best practices”, the DG said.
Earlier in his address, the Niger Republic Shippers’ Council boss, who spoke through an interpreter, commended the agency’s efforts in ensuring safety and security of goods in the nation’s ports. He also pledged the readiness of Niger Republic to co-operate with Nigerian government for the interest of both countries.
“We have been to Apapa and Tin-Can Ports and we observed the quality of safety and security measures available on Nigerian waterways, which are commendable”, Oumarou stated.
He further appealed to the agency to do its best to foster a good relationship between both countries.
The Nigerian/Nigerien Joint Commission on Transit Cargo was established with the aim of facilitating seamless transit of Niger bound cargo through Nigerian ports. The delegation from the Republic of Niger comprising mostly economic operators was in Nigeria to inspect the nation’s port facilities with a view to channelling most of their cargo through Nigerian ports.
Source: BusinessDay Online
