Nigeria and Ghana are planning to ship cargo between their countries via waterways to expand trade in locally manufactured goods. This initiative aims to bypass the obstacles faced in road transportation and boost trade volumes among manufacturers in both nations.
During a meeting with 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), Pius Akutah, emphasized the importance of African countries forming partnerships to enhance trade within the continent, especially with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) now in effect.
Akutah highlighted the necessity of having an economic regulator in the port system to ensure all stakeholders comply with the law. He mentioned that the need for such a regulator is driving the review of existing legislation, noting that the new bill to replace the current law has passed its second reading in the National Assembly, with a public hearing recently concluded.
Speaking earlier, leader of the visiting Ghanaian team, Amanju said that they are 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 challenges in Ghana.
Also speaking at the meeting, a member of the Ghana parliament, 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.
