EXCLUSIVE: Trade Falters At Oyo Borders, As Traders Suffer Infrastructure Deficiency
. Multi-billion Naira border projects abandoned
. Residents, traders seek urgent govt intervention
By Sulaimon Salau
Multi-billionNaira business opportunities inherent at the various border communities in Oke Ogun, Oyo State are currently waning due to infrastructure deficiency, which has crippled cross-border trade with neighbouring countries.
Investigations by SlyeNews revealed that the four borders in Oke Ogun area of Oyo state are currently suffering poor infrastructure such as bad roads, and poor market facilities, lack of healthcare, and portable drinking water, among others, which have hindered cross-border trade in the area.
Traders told SlyeNews that several projects, including the establishment of a formal border post and trans border market, which are expected to boost international trade in that area, have been abandoned for several years.
The projects are: Construction/Rehabilitation of the access roads from Saki to Okerete (60km); Reconstruction of the road from Okerete to Kilibo Benin Republic; Cost of Construction a two lane Bridge over the Okpara River including Toll Plaza.
The study, done since 2011, which was obtained by SlyeNews, stated the benefits of the projects briefly as; saving transport cost and time, increasing revenue generation and creating employments to the teeming youths.
A trader, Benjamin Oladele told SlyeNews that lack of basic infrastructure facilities is a major problem hindering trade along Nigerian borders, particularly in Oke Ogun, where the nation is losingseveral billions of naira to infrastructure decay.
“Trading along this corridor it a herculean task. The roads are very bad, no standard market and all these are taking toll on cost of businesses. Transportation of goods through the route is a terrible thing, while transporting through the river is not easy. We are calling on the authorities to come to our aid. We are really suffering here and we need urgent attention. Imagine a journey of just 93 kilometers from Okerete to Saki taking about seven hours because of bad roads.” he said
Oke Ogun, which is popularly referred to as food basket of Oyo State has four international borders at: Iwajowa Local Government linked to Sabe in Benin Republic; Itesiwaju Local Government linked to Sabe local Government in Benin Republic; Atisbo local Government linked to Ouesse Local Government Benin Republic; and Saki West Local Government linked to Ouesse Local Government, Tchaourou Local Government Benin Republic and Baruteen Local Government Kwara State, Nigeria.
It is blessed with rich mineral resources such as; Marble and Dolomite, Tamaline, Tantalite, Agate, Talc, Kaoline, Granites. Agricultural products are; Cashew nut, Shear butter, Corn, Millet, Yam, Cassava, Pepper, Poultry, Melon, Ram, goat, sheep, and cow, Potato, Charcoal, Soya bean, Yam flour, Honey and all kinds of fruits.
At Okerete border, dilapidated roads, health facilities, water and quality education are major challenges that are terrifying the traders. The standard market facility billed for the area has wane away for several years.
Infact, establishment of a standard market has been the yearning of traders, but their hope fades by the day as no government appears to be interested in their case. If those facilities were put in place international trade with countries such as Benin Republic, Togo, Burkina Faso, Niger, Mali, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Chad and Cameroun would assume a new dimension.
According to the feasibility study by the research team of Alsana Global Ventures Limited, Okerete border market would generate over 580,000 tonnes of goods in the first year of operation only if the roads are motorable.
“The Lagos Iseyin and Sokoto Arugungun via Saki will increase the volume of goods through Okerete Border Market. The border will certainly become a trans-shipment point for goods coming to ECOWAS, landlocked cities to Central Africa. A transit point for Chad, Cameroun, that does not requires VISA to come to Nigeria and meet ECOWAS business partners,” it stated.
President, West African Association for Cross-Border Trade, in Agro-forestry-pastoral, Fisheries products and Food (WACTAF), Alhaji Salami said there are several investment opportunities in the area which are currently under utilized
He said, the proposed Okerete border market would facilitate trade on agricultural produce and it would be source of raw-materials for transformation of finished goods, if facilitated by government.
The WACTAF boss stressed the need for a standard border market which he said would give Nigeria an edge in the competitive ECOWAS market. He advised on creation of export village and irrigation terminal in that locality, since Okerete border is blessed with many rivers and suitable land or fertile land for agricultural products.
“Okerete Border market is a potentially lucrative project that will be of great benefit to Oyo State, our economy and strengthen the relationship within ECOWAS Countries and beyond,” he stated.
Commenting on the abandoned Ikere George Dam, Alasoadua said a lake water system should be put in place by Oyo State Government for the supply of potable water to Iseyin and the surrounding region and such that water from the lake will not contribute significantly to floods in communities along the River Ogun downstream of the dam.
He lamented: “The Ikere Gorge Dam has not been completed, it has not been provided with gates that would make the maximum capacity of 565 million cubic metres of the water available in the lake. However, the volume of water available in the current lake is adequate for the Iseyin Regional Water Supply Scheme and the irrigation schemes that have been established by the Ogun-Oshun River Basin Development Authority (OORBDA). Funding for the water supply scheme should be arranged with contributions from the federal government and Oyo state government, within the scheme area and loans obtained from World Bank.
“There are several reasons why the FGN should contribute towards the funding of this water scheme. The Ikere Gorge Dam was built by and is being managed by the OORBDA. One of the purposes of the dam is the production of 6MW of hydro-electric power for dam operations, irrigation systems operations, rural community electrification and the water scheme.
“With the provision of gates at the dam, it would be possible to plan for power generation. Presently, under the existing laws, the OORBDA is not permitted to generate electric power. However the federal government and the Oyo state government can enter into a joint venture with a hydropower station operator for the installation, operation and maintenance of 6 Mega Watts turbines at the dam.
“The daily operation of a hydropower component at the dam will assist in regulating flows in the river downstream of the dam and will be a substantial factor in preventing floods in communities along the River Ogun all the way to the Lagos Lagoon,” he stated.
He also bemoaned the abandon of the Middle Ogun Irrigation Project, located at Odo-Ogun near Iseyin, which is one of the OORBDA projects.
“It was planned to cover an area of 12000 hectares with the land development over 3 phases. To date, only about 700 hectares has been completed for cropping by irrigation.
“Construction and procurement contracts for the first phase development covering 3000 hectares were put in place more than 20 years ago. The delay in project completion increases the project costs thus making it difficult to complete the project,” he said.
