According to TheSun President Muhammadu Buhari has Advised African countries to improve on ports infrastructure and utilize all natural maritime endowments to facilitate trade.
Buhari made the plea on Monday in Abuja during the first Regional Conference of International Africa Ports and Harbour (IAPH) with the theme: “Africa Ports and Hinterland Community.”
He said that interconnectivity would improve African countries’ economic competitiveness as targeted under the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan.
Buhari advised that every port should have the complement of rail infrastructure.
“To complement the improvement in trade facilitation, we have improved on upgrading infrastructure.
“Our projection is that by the end of 2021, we will have standard gauge railway across the main North-South trading route.
“The same level of serious attention is being given to the improvement of road infrastructure.
“At the moment, 25 major highways and 44 roads are under construction across the six geo-political zones of the count just as we have insisted on the simulation activities on our inland waterways.
“Major inland river channels are being dredged with adequate channel markings for ease of navigation all the way through the Eastern and Northern parts of the country.
“That is the only way to go if we plan to remain competitive in the maritime industry.
“I want to implore participants at the conference to see themselves as people opportuned to stand in positions of responsibility on behalf of Africa,” the president said.
Buhari said that maritime sector was central to the facilitation of trade and total integration of Africa for development.
The Minister of Transportation, Mr. Chibuike Amaechi, urged African countries to optimize the comparative advantage of their maritime endowments.
Amaechi said that it should be understood that optimizing maritime potential was totally dependent on efficient transportation of cargo from ports of a destination into the hinterland.
“We are therefore committed to the multi-modal system of transportation from all our ports by improving on the extension of our railways to facilitate the ease of transportation from ports to hinterlands.
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