Tinubu’s Five-Port Trade Corridor Initiative, Catalyst for Economic Growth and Productivity — TMSG

Tinubu’s Five-Port Trade Corridor Initiative, Catalyst for Economic Growth and Productivity — TMSG

The Tinubu Media Support Group (TMSG) has described President Bola Tinubu’s five-port trade corridor initiative as a strategic concept capable of accelerating economic growth, spreading development and improving national productivity.

In a statement by its Chairman, Emeka Nwankpa, and Secretary, Dapo Okubanjo, the group said the recently unveiled initiative would create a more conducive environment for investment and unlock economic opportunities across the country.

TMSG said: “When President Bola Tinubu came up with the idea of reviving the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, little did many Nigerians know that it was part of a larger plan for a nationwide integrated trade corridor.

“It is now public knowledge that the coastal highway is part of a network of road, rail and maritime infrastructure designed to link major deep-sea ports in Lagos, Ondo, Akwa Ibom, Port Harcourt and Calabar, as part of efforts to position Nigeria as a maritime gateway and logistics hub for West and Central Africa.

“We invite Nigerians to note that the ongoing Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and the Sokoto-Badagry Expressway, which are among President Bola Tinubu’s legacy projects, are central to this initiative from both flanks.

“While the coastal highway will provide the primary road link to the five ports, the Lagos-Kano, Kaduna-Kano, Abuja-Kaduna and Kano-Maradi rail corridors will connect the ports from the Lagos axis to landlocked trade hubs in the Sahel.

“Complemented by the Sokoto-Badagry Expressway, the long-term objective is to connect Nigeria’s ports with landlocked markets in countries including Niger, Chad, Burkina Faso, Sudan and the Central African Republic.

“We also note the importance of the Eastern Corridor through the Port Harcourt-Maiduguri rail line, which is expected to provide connectivity between eastern maritime gateways and Northern Nigeria.

“And lest we forget, there is also a principal role for the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) gas project, which former President Muhammadu Buhari flagged off and which President Tinubu is painstakingly pushing towards completion.”

The group said the initiative would boost local economies, stimulate investment and contribute to national development and productivity.

“We make bold to say that at the heart of the Tinubu five-port initiative is an integrated maritime, rail, road and logistics network designed not only to reposition Nigeria as a major gateway to African markets, but also to create direct and indirect employment and spread national development.

“For us, this initiative, which is already in progress, will stimulate local economies along the various routes of the integrated trade corridors and ultimately improve national productivity.

“We are convinced that the initiative will trigger investments in various sectors, including warehousing, logistics, manufacturing, distribution and agro-processing along the corridors.

“What the President is doing with this pro-business initiative is to create a legacy for posterity and put Nigeria firmly on the path towards a $1 trillion economy.

“This will not be different from what he did as Lagos State Governor by creating the necessary atmosphere for a modern and economically buoyant state, while also paving the way for the Lekki Free Trade Zone, which is now home to landmark national economic projects, including the Dangote Refinery and the Lekki Deep Sea Port,” the group added.

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