Opaque laws, insecurity restricting operations of courier firms 

The Managing Director, Courier Plus, Isaac Orolugbagbe, has identified opaque laws, non-motorable roads, and insecurity as major challenges restricting operations of courier services in Nigeria.

Orolugbagbe noted that Nigeria has a large courier market, as more volume of products are now being moved within the country than what is exported or imported, adding that with proper management, the industry could thrive. He disclosed this at the launch of a product, ‘Domestic Economy’, which transports smaller freight between 150kg to 1500kg across the country. 

Meanwhile, he called on the government to fix the roads, and reduce all tariffs to make goods affordable, thereby increasing the quality of life.
He argued that the cost of business operation in Nigeria is too high, adding that logistics services should be very affordable to improve the quality of life. 

He said: “When tariffs on transportation of goods are high, the seller incorporates the cost to the products, making the goods expensive and difficult to purchase.

“Also, vehicles that should last four years would be destroyed within 12 months because of the bad roads. The laws are not clear. Every local government in Nigeria wants to give you a permit.”

Also speaking, the Business Development Manager, Logistics, Tima Dafe, explained that the domestic economy services sector is tailored for customers who don’t want to hire a full truck, but want to transport their goods to any location in Nigeria.

He said the service has five hubs, namely from Lagos to Ibadan, Benin, Abuja, Port Harcourt and Kano, which would serve as distribution points to neighbouring cities and towns. He added that goods tracking system, insurance plan, professional loaders and drivers are the firm’s competitive edge.