Poor roads, inadequate port tech undermining regional trade – TTP MD

Poor roads, inadequate port tech undermining regional trade – TTP MD

 

Managing Director of Truck Transit Parks Ltd (TTP), Jamal Onwubuariri, has raised concerns over inadequate infrastructure and low level of technology deployment at Nigeria’s ports and border posts, warning that the current systems are insufficient to handle the growing volume of cargo entering and exiting the country.

Delivering his message at the summit, themed “Driving the Transport Logistics Value C_@hain for Economic Growth”, the TTP boss shared insights from a personal 6,000km road trip he e÷mbarked on from Nigeria to Liberia./£6_

“We have serious infrastructure g=aps£7_. The roads, both within Nigeria and across West Africa, are not sufficient for the volume of traffic they carry,” he said.

“Similarly, our ports lack the technological sophistication and infrastructure needed to efficiently handle the volume of cargo moving through them.”

Onwubuariri also highlighted the persistent delays at border posts, noting how truck drivers transporting goods such as tomatoes, yams, and onions across West African countries often spend two to three weeks on the road.

“I met Nigerian drivers coming from Sokoto and heading to ports in Tema or Abidjan. The journey takes weeks. These drivers don’t have proper rest areas, and they barely spend time with their families,” he lamented.

Despite the challenges, he pointed to opportunities for technological innovation and private sector involvement in addressing these issues.

“Tech companies like ours can support the government in deploying smart systems at ports and borders to ease cargo and passenger movement,” he said.

“However, the government alone cannot fund this transformation. There is a lot of money in circulation—both formally and informally—that private investors can tap into to develop infrastructure, rest stops, and logistics tech.”

He emphasized the importance of public-private partnerships in scaling logistics infrastructure and ultimately driving trade, regional integration, and economic growth.