The Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Hadiza Bala-Usman has stressed the need for an African framework targeted at enhancing the conveyance of cargos and the quality of logistics in a more predictable manner.
Bala-Usman spoke at the African Women in Maritime (WIMAFRICA) second continental conference with the theme: “Trade facilitation in Africa : challenges and prospects.”
She stressed that such a framework should be targeted at enhancing the clearance of cargos through efficient logistics in a more profitable manner, stressing that it has become imperative to eliminate encumbrances affecting trade liberalization and facilitation in the sub region.
While commending the members of WIMAFRIAC for organising the conference, she urged the women to proffer an integrative approach that will eliminate the increasing complexity and cost associated with transaction processes of trade in the continent.
She further enjoined members of WIMAFRICA to key into the concept of trade facilitation, which she noted, is a major driver of economic development and growth of Nations, adding that this will enable Africa to effectively maximize the tremendous benefits of trade facilitation.
“For us in the continent to get trade facilitation right, it is imperative that our regulatory environment must be tied with best practices and strengthened to ensure that operators in the trade corridors and border – post adhere to the various article of the World Trade Organization on Trade Facilitation Agreement. We in the continent more than ever before need to redefine our trade processes to ensure simplification of documentation, automation, efficiency, transparency and professionalism; this no doubt will engender ease of doing business,” she said.
While asking WIMAFRICA to unravel critical issues militating against the continent from taking the advantages of the prospects of trade facilitation, Bala-Usman admonished them to come up with strategic plans that will upscale the desired growth and development of the economy of the continent.
