By Gabriel Ameh
The Tinubu Media Support Group (TMSG) has described President Bola Tinubu’s five-port trade corridor initiative as a strategic move capable of accelerating economic growth, spreading development and improving productivity across Nigeria.
In a statement signed by its Chairman, Emeka Nwankpa, and Secretary, Dapo Okubanjo, the group said the initiative would create a more conducive environment for investment and stimulate economic activities along major transportation and trade routes.
TMSG said the plan is part of a broader effort to establish an integrated network of roads, railways, ports and logistics infrastructure linking major maritime gateways across the country.
According to the group, the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway is central to the initiative, providing a major road connection to five ports located in Lagos, Ondo, Akwa Ibom, Port Harcourt and Calabar.
It added that the Sokoto-Badagry Expressway would complement the coastal highway by strengthening connections between Nigeria’s ports and landlocked markets across the Sahel and other parts of Africa.
TMSG also identified major rail projects, including the Lagos-Kano, Kaduna-Kano, Abuja-Kaduna and Kano-Maradi corridors, as important components of the broader trade network.
The group said the proposed network could eventually strengthen Nigeria’s access to markets in Niger, Chad, Burkina Faso, Sudan and the Central African Republic.
TMSG further pointed to the proposed Port Harcourt-Maiduguri rail corridor as an important component of the eastern connection, linking maritime gateways in the region with northern Nigeria.
The group also highlighted the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) gas project, which was initiated under former President Muhammadu Buhari, saying its completion under the Tinubu administration would complement the country’s wider infrastructure and economic development plans.
TMSG said the five-port initiative could stimulate local economies and create both direct and indirect employment opportunities across the various trade corridors.
“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 also create direct and indirect jobs as well as spread national development,” the group said.
It added that the initiative could attract investment into sectors such as warehousing, logistics, manufacturing, distribution and agro-processing along the designated corridors.
According to TMSG, the long-term objective is to strengthen Nigeria’s position as a major logistics and maritime hub in West and Central Africa while supporting the country’s ambition of becoming a $1 trillion economy.
The group also compared the initiative with Tinubu’s record as Lagos State governor, arguing that his administration’s infrastructure and investment policies helped create an environment that contributed to the development of major economic projects around the Lekki corridor.
It specifically cited the Lekki Free Trade Zone, the Dangote Refinery and the Lekki Deep Sea Port as examples of major investments associated with the area.
TMSG said the five-port trade corridor initiative, if successfully implemented, could have a significant impact on economic activities, investment and development across the country.
