The Executive Secretary, Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), Barrister Bello Hassan, has advocated intermodal transport system in all the nation’s ports.
Hassan, who spoke at the 2nd National Transport Summit, organised by the Chartered Institute of Transport Administration of Nigeria (CIoTA), noted that the nation’s seaports lacked intermodal transport system to carry goods across the seaports.
According to him, Nigeria needs interconnectivity and modern transport infrastructure to address most of the challenges facing the nation’s transport system, especially the Nigerian seaports.
“Transport infrastructure is as good as integration with other modes of transportation. As you can see, it needs professionals to direct that. We don’t build infrastructure just for building sake.
“This infrastructure must integrate. Multimodalism is not our problem while intermodalism is the problem. They have to come together,” he said.
He continued, “Of course, we have port in Calabar, but once your goods are at the seaport in Calabar, how do you now move them to Maiduguri and other places? We need high sense of interconnectivity and modern infrastructure in our seaports to do so”.
Hassan said there was need to integrate electronic commerce and electronic carriage of goods and paper work.
“No need to be at the seaport looking for bill of laden, which can easily be transmitted electronically. So, transport must be infused with technology and who will do that? Certainly, transport professionals. We need professionalism. This is what we are talking about,” he stated.

By: Chinedu Wosu