Tradeways Express is a courier and logistics company that has distinguished itself as one of the largest and well managed indigenous courier firms in the country. Recently, it held its 6th Annual General Meeting where the chairman of the company, Mr. Obinna Ezeuko intimated that the company would expand its operations into international freight and nationwide cargo services having considered the huge potentials in the two growth areas. He emphasized that services in these areas would include international export and import, customs clearing and forwarding, warehousing, haulage, bulk cargo, consolidation and delivery nationwide.
Mr. Larry Chinekezi, managing director / chief executive officer of the firm in an interview with Nigeria Communications Week said the company was planning to raise fund through its shareholders in line with what was agreed upon at the AGM; to inject more fund into the business which he said would come as soon as possible. Chinekezi said that as a result of the very bad nature of our roads, which makes it difficult for people to move their cargo from one place to another, his company considered investing most of the funds into that particular area to have the right equipment and fleet that can withstand the strength of the road.
Chinekezi said further that they had faced some challenges especially with the nation’s economy being unpredictable and hinted that they were embarking on the reforms in his courier company to ensure that the company absorbed shocks arising from negative turn around in the economy even as he pointed out that the weak infrastructural base of the economy ; which reflects in bad roads, insufficient air transport support and almost nonexistent electricity power supply had all culminated in cutting the profit margin of most courier houses. He said that the company had looked in that direction and would ensure seamless operation after their transformation
He informed that the company initially focused on courier but as their business began to grow, they felt the need to invest more into cargo and international freight even as he said that the growth necessitated increase in the number of cars and professionals coming on board the company and emphasized the need for regular training for his growing work force for them to be up- to- date with what they are doing.
Chinekezi has been eloquent on the crusade to liberalize the postal and courier sector and had at different fora in the past talked about the need to have an independent regulator for the postal and courier sector extrapolating that one cannot be a player in a match he is officiating. He said that so much had been done in the campaign to have an independent regulator for the industry in the last three years and informed that the courier operators under the aegis of Association of Nigerian Courier Operators (Anco) and the Nigerian International Air Couriers Association (Niaca) had presented papers and met with the minister of Information and Communications and other stakeholders including members of the National Assembly on the issue. According to him, Bureau of Public Enterprise (BPE) had in few occasions called for stakeholders’ meeting where the issue was discussed and the papers presented were harmonized. He also clarified that the issue at present is in the domain of the National Assembly. "I do know as I speak that the matter is in the National Assembly now. It is left for them to go on with their legislative function. We have been expecting that the public forum would have been called by now by the National Assembly so that people can defend their proposals and have the opportunity to say their minds. I can tell you right now that all the stakeholders have agreed that it is desirable but when it will actualize, I cannot tell", Chinekezi said about the matter.
