The Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, has called for the sustained continuation and completion of international highways and rail routes from coastal to landlocked countries.

The completion of railways and highways will ensure efficient and cost-effective delivery of goods to the landlocked countries of Chad, Niger Republic and Central African Republic.

Speaking on Tuesday, during his presentation at the 44th annual council and 19th round table of directors general of the Port Management Association of West and Central Africa (PMAWCA) which is being held in Conakry-Guinea, the Director General of the NPA said that the highways of the hinterland and the coast cross Niger. , Lagos, Tema and Abidjan.

The NPA boss, who noted that of the 44 landlocked countries in the world, Africa has 16, said it was a moral duty for coastal states to provide access to the sea to landlocked countries.

According to him, “the question raised by the emerging trends and the current roundtable is more about serving the hinterland without jostling for service on the one hand and how to build a capacity shared by coastal states to ensure the providing services to landlocked states efficiently and at low cost. cost.

“In doing the above, there should be a sustained and sincere program to engage in the following areas: Sustained continuation and completion of international roads crossing the hinterland and the coastline, such as the Niger International Highways, of Lagos, Tema and Abidjan, the sustainable creation of common international rail routes crossing the hinterland and coastal states.

Others, he added, are; leverage each other’s strength to improve trade facilitation with landlocked countries, share ideas and information on technological advancements that can lead to improved service delivery, technological connectivity between coastal states to accelerate the transport of goods in transit, especially when multiple water transits are required in the sub-region.

“Establishing multilateral agreements and trade partnerships with neighboring coastal countries and other regional partners, infrastructure planning: coordinating investments in port infrastructure and transport networks. The Abidjan-Lagos highway project proposed by ECOWAS Heads of State, which will connect the most economically dynamic cities and ports and the most densely populated urban areas in West Africa, is a welcome development .

“Regulatory harmonization: aligning policies and procedures to facilitate the smooth movement of goods. This is essential for transhipment goods and joint initiatives on safety, security and environmental protection. This is essential to attract and support economic development, combine freight volumes to negotiate better rates with shipping companies, align vessel schedules to reduce congestion and increase efficiency. Ports across the region, particularly shippers’ councils, must continue to work together on this.”

He also called for “sharing best practices in terminal operations and capacity utilization, collaboration on rail, road and river links, emergency response planning: planning for joint emergency in the event of accidents or disruptions and participation in diplomatic and cultural exchange programs: good relations foster trust.” and cooperation.

He highlighted that benefits such as: increased efficiency, improved competitiveness, increased customer satisfaction, reduced costs and better resource utilization can be achieved if strategic and operational complementarities are synergized.

“It is clear from the above that the relationship between maritime transport and the hinterland is interdependent, which implies that overcoming the challenges associated with the fluidity of port operations requires a strong link between the maritime space and the hinterland, both constituting the domain of world politics. movement of goods. In conclusion, ensuring the full optimization of hinterland connectivity requires a diverse approach combining infrastructure development, digital advancement and diplomatic cooperation measures which I believe PMAWCA is fully equipped and is ready to promote “, he said.

Speaking, the Director General of the Autonomous Port of Conakry, Mamadou Biro Diallo, said ports are key hubs of global trade and catalysts for growth.

“But for this growth to be truly beneficial, it must extend beyond the port interface into the hinterland. This is where connectivity and fluidity of supply chains play a key role. Connectivity between ports and the hinterland relies on a varied infrastructure network, including roads, railways and sometimes even waterways.

“This is why the Autonomous Port of Conakry highlights these issues which also consist of supporting the development efforts of hinterland countries by offering quality services. Optimizing port hinterland services requires an integrated vision of connectivity, fluidity and reliability. This requires strong collaboration between public and private actors, a commitment to sustainable investments in infrastructure and greater adoption of new technologies. Together, we can address these challenges and build more efficient supply chains that will support not only local economies but also global trade,” he said.