By Godfrey Bivbere 

Nigeria and Ghana are planning shipment of cargo between both countries by waterways as a means of expanding trade in goods manufactured in their respective countries.

The waterways plan is aimed at bypassing the hindrances faced through transportation of goods by road as well as ensuring higher trade volume amongst manufacturers in both countries.

Speaking while playing host to a team from Ghana led by the Principal Research Officer of the Ghana Shippers Authority, GSA, Helena Claudia Amanju, Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers Council, NSC, Pius Akutah, said it is important that African countries enter into more partnership to expand trade within the continent, especially with the African Continental Free Trade Area, AfCFTA, now in place.

Akutah noted that it is important that an economic regulator is in place in the port system to ensure that all the stakeholders are adhering to the law. He told his guest that the need for a regulator for all stakeholders is the reason for the review of the existing law, stressing that the new bill to replace the existing bill has passed second reading at the National Assembly, with the public hearing just concluded this week.

Speaking earlier, leader of the visiting Ghanaian team, Amanju said that they are on a tour of some ports in the sub-region to study the problems resulting in the high cost of cargo clearance in a bid to use it to address challenges in Ghana.

Also speaking at the meeting, a member of the Ghana parliament, Emmanuel Gwamfi, expressed happiness that Nigeria has gone far in the process of reviewing the law establishing its shippers council as the Ghanaian government is also considering a review of the law establishing its Shippers Council.