TMSG: Tinubu’s Five-Port Trade Corridor Will Spread Development, Boost National Productivity
Oru Leonard
The Tinubu Media Support Group (TMSG) has described President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s five-port trade corridor initiative as a creative economic strategy capable of accelerating growth, spreading development and improving national productivity.
The group said the initiative, which integrates Nigeria’s maritime, road, rail and logistics infrastructure, would create a more conducive environment for investment while positioning the country as a major trade and logistics hub for West and Central Africa.
In a statement signed by its Chairman, Emeka Nwankpa, and Secretary, Dapo Okubanjo, TMSG said the initiative formed part of a broader strategy to develop an integrated nationwide trade corridor.
According to the group, the ongoing Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway is central to the plan, linking major deep-sea ports in Lagos, Ondo, Akwa Ibom, Port Harcourt and Calabar.
“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,” TMSG said.
The group explained that the coastal highway would provide a major road connection to the five ports, while rail corridors including Lagos-Kano, Kaduna-Kano, Abuja-Kaduna and Kano-Maradi would connect the maritime gateways with commercial centres and landlocked markets towards the Sahel.
It added that the Sokoto-Badagry Expressway would complement the network by opening additional trade routes towards countries such as Niger, Chad, Burkina Faso, Sudan and the Central African Republic.
TMSG also highlighted the strategic importance of the Eastern Corridor, particularly the proposed Port Harcourt-Maiduguri rail line, which it said would strengthen connections between eastern maritime gateways and northern Nigeria.
The group further noted the role of the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) gas project, initiated under former President Muhammadu Buhari and being pursued to completion by the Tinubu administration.
According to TMSG, the integrated transport and logistics network would stimulate economic activities along the various corridors and generate both direct and indirect employment.
“We make bold to say that at the heart of the Tinubu five-port initiative is an integrated maritime, rail, road and logistics network to not only reposition Nigeria as a major gateway to African markets, but to also create direct and indirect jobs as well as spread national development,” the group said.
TMSG said the initiative could trigger investments in warehousing, logistics, manufacturing, distribution and agro-processing, particularly along the major trade routes.
“For us, this initiative which is already in progress will stimulate local economies across the various routes of the integrated trade corridors and ultimately improve national productivity,” it said.
The group further argued that the initiative could support Nigeria’s ambition of becoming a $1 trillion economy by creating the infrastructure and business environment required for sustained private-sector investment.
TMSG compared the initiative with President Tinubu’s record as Lagos State governor, when it said he helped create an environment that supported the emergence of major economic projects, including developments around the Lekki Free Trade Zone, the Dangote Refinery and Lekki Deep Sea Port.
“What the President is doing with this pro-business initiative is to create a legacy for posterity and put Nigeria firmly on the path to a $1 trillion economy,” TMSG added.
