BY GODFREY BIVBERE
Managing Director, Cotecna Destination Inspection Nigeria Limited, Mr. Tayo Rabiu, has said that other countries are now coming to under study the nation’s destination inspection scheme with a view to adapting same in their operations.

Speaking with Vanguard in an exclusive chat, Rabiu said Ghana and Pakistan specifically have come to under study want Nigeria is doing. The Cotecna boss explained that before the commencement of the scheme, Nigerians used to go to Ghana to see what they had on ground there but stressed that the situation has since changed for the better.

He identified some of the areas which these countries are interested in as the fixed scanners which is the first of its kind in the sub-region, the risk management system and the general operations of the scheme.

According to him, “We have benefitted in terms of revenue to our company and we have also benefitted in terms of the experience in working on a project of this nature. We have a lot of return on experience that we can also show case in other places.

“When we started it, we were learning from Ghana. When the former President (Chief Olusegun Obasanjo) wanted to approve the introduction of the scheme, he wanted to know where the scheme had worked in the West African sub-region, people use to go to Accra.

“Now, people come from Accra to learn from what we have in Nigeria because we have moved from where we were, we have up scaled to a higher level and you will understand that the economic power house of West Africa is Nigeria. If it can run in Nigeria, then the same system can run in most places.”

He also pointed out that the Pakistani Customs came to Nigeria because they also have an economy that is complex, as robust and as big as the one in this country.

In his words, “So for us too, there is the return on experience and for the deliverables, in fact we had a time when we had a visit from the Pakistani Customs coming to see what we were doing in Nigeria because they also have an economy that is complex, as robust and as big as we have in Nigeria.

Speaking further Rabiu said, “For Cotecna too, we have things to show case, that we agreed with the government and we have delivered on the terms of the contract.”

As to the performance of Cotecna regarding meeting its side of the contract entered into with government on the Destination Inspection scheme, the Cotecna boss explained that the company is already exceeding its part concerning the deliverables to be met before the end of the contract in 2012.

Rabiu said, “The signals are very good, in fact in some areas we have exceeded the terms of the contract. We want to be able to stand up in 2012 to say, this is what we have done, this is what we have delivered and then we take it to another level from there.”