The Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Nigerian Shippers’ (NSC), Mr. Hassan Bello has called for the removal of physical trade barriers in the African sub-region.
Bello who made the call during the inauguration of the interim working committee of West Africa Road Transport Union (WARTU) in Lagos, pointed out that regional transportation requires integration, harmonisation and standardisation.
His words: “This is the reason the meeting is being structured because the volume of trade within the African sub-region is not very much. The volume of trade within the Central African region is representing 1per cent comparing with that of Europe which stands at 70 per cent. We need to look at ways of improving trade within the sub-region and there are so many things to trade on among us”.
Bello, a lawyer stated that Nigeria trade was supported by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), laws and protocols which had been guiding the effective operation of trade in the region.
He explained that the council had been playing a critical role in ensuring that the institutions and bodies were supported in one way or the other just as he commended the National Road Transport Owners (NARTO) for their involvement in the series of laudable activities believing that the union was having the capacity and capability to put things in place.
The NSC helmsman expressed the council’s readiness to give the newly inaugurated committee the necessary support and encouragements to enable them meet their aspirations.
