Dr. Frank Ukor (BOT Chairman, ARREFN)
The Executive Order on Ease of Doing Business is working in the ports. I make this assertion because clearing goods at the Ports takes less time than before, except for non-compliant declarations. The only thing that constitutes an obstacle is the traffic situation in and around the ports, the gridlock to the ports. If government does something about this by repairing the roads to the ports from Mile 2 to Tin Can Island to Apapa Wharf and the access roads to these major ports, the impact of the Executive Order will be felt.
Nzeribe Ebere (Secretary, Tin Can Chapter of ANLCA)
Frankly speaking, the executive order initiated by this present government on the ease of doing business in Nigeria in general and in the port in particular is not really working optimally. The concept is a good one as to remove the bottleneck associated during the day to day running of business within the port environment. But as you know, those involved to see this programme succeed are the ones hampering its success, thereby negatively affecting the smooth running of the idea. Therefore, in answering your question on the workability of the process, the simple answer to it is completely NO.
C.A.T Agubama (Ex-president of NAFFAC)
The Executive Order on Ease of Doing Business is working in the ports. Simple samplers to prove this position are that: what does it take in terms of the price we pay to renew Customs License today? What does it take to renew shipping line or terminal authorities? Everything at the port is not working, the executive order is an ideal not yet realized.
Yinka Bakare (President, NAFFAC)
We can all see things are not working and the situation is getting more difficult. Accessing the port is getting more difficult with every agencies competing, instead of complimenting each other, the executive order is not working
Godwin Soleji (Chairman, ANLCA at KLT Chapter)
The ease of doing business policy is not working efficiently the way it ought to be, we are not yet there, there are issues and challenges here and there, there are forces responsible and frustrating that effort; so it cannot work. We have complained severally about the condition of the roads, we cannot be repeating ourselves; these challenges are not new or hidden. There are lots of measures being put in place to ensure that ease of doing business is achieved to facilitates trade, the essence is to ease the stress practitioners are going through and enhance revenue generation.
George Okafor (NAGAFF Chairman at PTML)
To me I will say that it is working well because, it is due to the ease of doing business at the port that the government introduced NICIS 2 and that has been very helpful. Once you enter the cargo in the system, you will punch and take your cargo. I will say that it is moving, the only problem we have is bad access roads.
Chukuemeka Shedrack (Stakeholder)
It has not been easy, if you have any business around the port and Apapa as a whole, you would know that it has not been easy, government has been losing revenue. All the companies here have shut down and if the access road is not done, the government will continue to lose revenue. All what the government has to do is to make sure that they take care of the road and after doing that every other thing will fall in place.
Dr. Obiora Madu (Director, African Center for Supply Chain)
It is obvious that the ease of doing business at the port is not working well here. Without infrastructure, there is no grammar you can speak that will make it work. Last week, I went to Apapa and the whole place was hell, so I don’t know where the ease of doing business will come from.
Stanley Ezenga(PRO, NAGAFF)
The ease of doing business is not working, because the customs that are supposed to make it work are not helping matters; that’s all.
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