The partial closure of the Third Mainland bridge in Lagos has been having negative effects on businesses across the country, according to an official of the Nigeria Export-Import Bank.
Mr Kabir Abdulahi, Senior Manager/Head, Marketing Department (all products) of NEXIM Bank, told the News Agency of Nigeria today in Lagos that movement of goods and services to and from other parts of the country had been badly affected by the closure of the bridge.
He said that the closure had forced individuals and corporate organisations to re-arrange their schedule of movement of goods and services, saying that this had increased the cost of doing business in Lagos and other parts of the country.
�Time is money. Business people and organisations now spend more money to do business in Lagos,� he said.
He dismissed the fears that the closure might further worsen the nation�s precarious economy, adding that the economy and the people would ultimately be the major beneficiaries when the bridge would be reopened.
�Development comes with some pains, if it is necessary to be done, it has to be done. Ultimately, it will be a smooth movement for all sector of the economy,�� the NEXIM Bank official said.
Although, he said that it had been very difficult to get Nigerians to embrace export business, the country, was, however, making a steady progress in its effort to promote the non-oil export business and cited reports by NEXIM and CBN to back his claim.