The Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council, PEBEC, says it will begin equipping truck drivers and freight forwarders with body cameras to expose officials involved in extortion at illegal checkpoints along the Apapa and Tin Can Port corridors.
PEBEC Director-General, Zahrah Audu, said this on Tuesday while briefing State House Correspondents during the weekly Meet the Press session at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Audu said the initiative became necessary because previous enforcement operations in January, March and July failed to secure prosecutions due to a lack of evidence against
erring officials.
“We are giving truckers and freight forwarders body cameras because we want evidence. If we have evidence of rent-seeking or any malpractice, we will work with the Attorney-General’s Office to prosecute offenders to the full extent of the law.”
The PEBEC Director-General said the Council has also installed signposts at all approved checkpoints along the port corridors, with QR codes linked to the ReportGov platform, enabling truckers to report cases of extortion in real time.
She added that the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA is developing a unified access pass system to restrict unauthorised entry into the ports and dismantle extortion networks operating around the facilities.
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On port efficiency, Audu said PEBEC is implementing measures to reduce cargo clearance time from the current average of 21 days to seven days through joint cargo inspections, increased use of cargo scanners and the National Single Window digital platform.
She also highlighted ongoing reforms aimed at improving the ease of doing business, including regulatory reforms, the ReportGov complaints platform and stronger collaboration with state governments.
Audu, however, acknowledged that businesses in the informal sector remain underserved and announced plans for a new initiative, Enable Her, to support small businesses with formalisation, infrastructure and access to opportunities.
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(Editor: Terverr Tyav)
