Abuja – The LAKAJI (Lagos-Kano-Jibiyia) Corridor Management Ltd. has called for the transformation of the area into an internationally competitive trade route through Public Private Partnership (PPP).
Mr Mike Jukwe, the Board Chairman of the company made the call in Abuja at the orientation and training on Transport and Logistics Performance Monitoring and Analysis.
The reports state that LAKAJI/CMG is a public private partnership initiative designed to support the emergence of a multi-modal transport trade expressway along the LAKAJI corridor in the country.
The multi-modal transport involves the linking of road and rail transportation with air and sea transportation.
LAKAJI corridors are the routes along Lagos, Kano and Jibiya in Katsina State.
Jukwe said the group was set to begin the monitoring of the corridor’s performance with a view to transforming the route into an internationally competitive trade facilitation route.
He said through monitoring and assessment of the corridor’s performance, the movement of goods and passengers as well as improving the quality of freight transportation along the LAKAJI corridor would be facilitated.
He said that information and data collected along the corridor would be used to identify needed improvement in transport policy, regulation and enforcement.
Jukwe said the organisation would use two technical working groups on transport and logistics, in addition to an enabling environment to achieve its aim.
He said that these groups would participate in the monitoring of delays and costs along the corridor, with a view to exploring opportunities aimed at reducing them.
“They will also look at port operations, road challenges and also identity infrastructure needs coupled with exploring potential investment aimed at overcoming challenges,’’ he said.
The LAKAJI/CMG Executive Secretary, Mr Issac Adegun, said the relevant information on transport observatory would be published and made available to stakeholders and the public.
Adegun said the training was designed to build participants’ understanding of the purpose, process and key concepts behind transport and logistics’ performance monitoring and analysis.
He said that during the training, participants would be exposed to transport and logistics assessment methodology developed by CARANA Corporation.
According to him, the model was used to evaluate transport corridors throughout West Africa, including the LAKAJI corridor.
“Trainers will utilise participatory learning tools, including case studies of real transport and logistics bottlenecks identified through corridor performance assessments.
“It will build participants’ capacities to diagnose issues contributing to high time and cost to trade, prioritise issues to reform and understand how to use data as an advocacy too.’’
He said the data collected would be used to plan advocacy with the Federal Government to effect change in the country.
AKAJI is the first corridor management group in Nigeria and West Africa, established in response to the high costs and long delays experienced in moving cargoes and passengers along the corridor in the country.
Reports say that the LAKAJI/CMG is in partnership with USAID, through its project called Nigerian Expanded Trade and Transport (NEXTT).
The training attracted participants from the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria, Federal Road Safety Commission and the Nigerian Shippers Council.
Others are USAID, Federal Road Maintenance Agency and Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment.
