The Managing Director of Widescope International Logistics Ltd., Dr Segun Musa, has called on the Federal Government to have a national policy in the maritime sector.
Musa said in Lagos that Nigeria should have national interest that would be tailored toward formation of a national transport policy or maritime policy.
“Once we can have that in place, it will address the challenges in the ports operations, international engagement and the challenges in the area of security in the ports.”
Musa, who is also a transport planner, said that it would also address the challenges of piracy, also attempt to improve ease of doing business and trade facilitation as well as government agencies involvement in the martime sector.
“Let me start with the ports operations.
“Number one, the ports operations, by now, following the trend globally, we should be having something similar to automated port operations that does not accommodate crowd associated with it subjects.
“The environment, the confined environment or all kinds of characters coming and assessing the port environment.
“We should have automated system that majorly, most of the things that you need to do within the port are done online,” he said.
Musa said that online process should have be put in place from the point of payment to clearing and to picking up, till it reaches its final destination.
He said with the online process in place, due diligence would be taken care of and that by the time the container got to the final destination, nobody would be disturbing and stopping anyone on the road.
According to him, online process facilitates trade, reduces bottlenecks, corrupt and sharp practices.