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Utomi harps on efficient logistic infrastructures to stimulate Nigerian economy

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Chinazor Megbolu      |   

Foremost economist and former Presidential candidate, Professor Pat Utomi, had said the country needs efficient logistic infrastructure in order to stand tall among smaller African nations.
He explained that the country is becoming irrelevant in the face of smaller African countries for lack of efficient transport infrastructures.


Utomi made this known in his presentation Wednesday in Abuja during the ongoing National Transportation Summit organised by the Chartered Institute Of Transport Administration Nigeria (CIOTA) and noted that logistic is the mainstream of development. 

“Logistics is so strategic   most development is based on the transport sector. China’s dramatic rise is down to the fact that they were able to turn around its logistics sector”.


“Africa will not make the progress that it is destined to make unless Nigeria leads the flying geese. What transformed South East Asia economy? One country, Singapore began to get it right, and others looked across the border and joined in the development stride. Before you know it, Malaysia, Thailand and others had their economy transformed, “Utomi said.


He stressed that the country is central to African development but this is not so because the right things are not in place in the transportation sector.


“We have not done something right in our transport sector, small countries are beginning to lead the way on the continent”.


“I was in Addis Ababa last week and saw that there is light rail there. The road network in Addis Ababa is flourishing, not the place we used to struggle to come to in the ’70s. We need to see a lot of investment coming into Nigeria’s transport infrastructure”.


“I was in Tokyo for a conference and at the end of the programme, the participants were all talking about building plants in Ghana. Why Ghana when Nigeria ought to be the leader in the sub-region?


“People don’t go to a country where property rights are threatened. In Nigeria, Governors are revoking C-of-O’s that were approved by their predecessors”.


“We are talking of properties that people have invested billions of Naira to build revoked due to political considerations. People don’t come to countries like that, “Utomi said.

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