Nigeria and Ghana are planning shipment of cargo between both countries through the waterways to expand trade in goods manufactured in their respective countries.
The use of waterways is aimed at bypassing the hindrances faced through transportation of goods by road and increase trade volumes amongst the manufacturers in both countries.
Receiving a team from Ghana led by the Principal Research Officer of the Ghana Shippers Authority (GSA), Helena Claudia Amanju, the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC), Mr. Pius Akutah, said it was important for African countries to enter into more partnerships to expand trade within the continent, especially with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) now in place.
Akutah stated that it is important that an economic regulator is in place in the port system to ensure that all the stakeholders are adhering to the law.
The report by Vanguard newspaper on Wednesday said that Mr. Akuta told his guests that the need for a regulator for all stakeholders is the reason for the review of the existing law, stressing that the new bill to replace the existing bill has passed second reading in Nigeria’s National Assembly, with the public hearing just concluded.
The report added that the leader of the visiting Ghanaian team, Amanju said that they were on a tour of some ports in the sub-region to study the problems resulting in the high cost of cargo clearance in a bid to use it to address the challenges in Ghana.
In his remarks, a parliamentarian in the Ghanaian team, Emmanuel Gwamfi, expressed happiness that Nigeria has gone far in the process of reviewing the law establishing its shippers council as the Ghanaian government is also considering a review of the law establishing its Shippers Council.
GIK/APA
Ghana, Nigeria explore trade expansion through waterways
