Shippers Want Buhari to Reduce Cost of Doing Business

John Iwori

Shippers in the country have enjoined the president-elect, General Mohammadu Buhari (rtd) to put measures in place that would eventually lead to a steady reduction in the cost of doing business in the country as soon as he takes the reins of governance next month.

According the shippers, the reduction of the cost of doing business in the country, particularly in the nation’s seaports, airports and land borders is vital to the sustainable development of the country.

The demands of the shippers is coming on the heels of reports by the World Bank that Nigeria remains one of the costliest places to do business in the world.

The Breton Woods institution noted that this arose from the multiplicity of government agencies and human contact which often creates avenues for bribery and corruption, adding to the cost of doing business in the country.

The shippers under the auspices of the Shippers’ Association Lagos State (SALS) urged the incoming government to assist them in reducing the costs of doing business at the seaports, airports and land borders.

President of SALS, Mr. Jonathan Nicol in a statement in Lagos expressed dismay that the high port charges had affected the costs of doing business in Nigeria.

He explained that the astronomical cost of doing business in the country had over the years encouraged diversion of cargoes originally earmarked for the Nigerian market to neighbouring countries such as Republic of Benin, Togo, and Ghana.

“We have a very big problem in the maritime sector. We believe that government will stick to the maritime sector as one of the most important aspects of the nation’s economy. This will enable other Nigerian shippers who have gone to the neighbbouring ports to come back.”