APTCON moves to boost contribution of transport sector to GDP

Nigeria is set to witness significant Gross Domestic Product (GDP) boost through the transport sector if the effort of the Association of Private Transport Companies of Nigeria (APTCON) to address the challenges in the sector is sustained and supported.

Speaking in Lagos on Wednesday, unveiling of the plans by the association to tackle the set back of the sector, convener of the association, Henrietta Onwuegbuzie said the potential in the sector would enable Nigeria increase its GDP.

According to her, though the road transport sector remain one of the major alternatives to movement of goods and people in the country, lack of regulation crippled its contribution to national development.

Onwuegbuzie, who stated that the transport sector was left unattended to, said that the association would lobby government to create enabling policies that would improve the sector.

“It is our intention to fully mobilise and rally resources, both human and material, for the growth of the transport sector which has been identified by experts as capable of further propelling Nigeria’s GDP,” she said.

As part of the targets of the association, Onwuegbuzie, who is also a Senior Lecturer at the Lagos Business School, disclosed that plans are underway to reduce operation cost in the sector, improve industry standard and build capacity of members to leverage new opportunities.

She added: “It is expected that APTCON will also provide a forum for interstate passenger transport operators to speak with one voice especially as regards government regulations, bus fares and other issues affecting the sector.”

Stating that the association would not compete with existing bodies in the sector, Onwuegbuzie said the platform was established to provide players an avenue to discuss matters bordering on common interests, regulations and strategies on how to overcome operational challenges to ensure business sustainability and profitability.

Route Commander and Transport Standardisation Officer, Federal Road Safety Corps (Lagos), Godwin Johnson, lauded the initiative, admitting that the sector needs proper regulation, particularly to reduce rate of accidents across the country.