A planning professor and transport policy at the State University of Lagos (LASU), Eye, Samuel Odewunmi, has emphasized the importance of African countries strengthen their supply chain industry to boost the economy of the region and do it worldwide competitive.
He said that the effective management of the supply chain industry in the public and private sectors is crucial, since it could lead to a reduction in the costs of goods and services, improve efficiency and quality control, and also improve customer satisfaction.
He said that it is important that the continent has done well by eliminating the various blocks of stumbling blocks that hinder the soft flow of the supply chain industry throughout the region.
According to him, the bad logistics system has been identified as one of the strong barriers for the supply chain industry in Africa and some other regions of the world.
He said that despite the huge human and material resources, most African countries, including Nigeria’s parade, remain poor in large part because they could not effectively administer their logistics infrastructure that could make goods and services not only of quality, less expensive and adequate, but also are available to meet the needs of consumers.
Professor Odewunmi shared this thought and perspectives at the 2025 supply chain research summit that has just been completed in Lagos between July 16 and 18.
The three-day summit, with a subject, “reinventing the supply chains of Africa for the sustainable future,” was organized by the applied research center and innovation in the supply chain-Africa (Carisca) for academics, students, government managers and corporate organizations
No less than 200 people from all over Nigeria, Ghana, United States, United Kingdom, Tanzania, France, Rwanda, etc. participate.
The health commissioners of some states in Nigeria, including Ekiti, Rivers, Taraba, Kwara, Kogi, Benue, Niger, etc., also attended.
Referring to the logistics infrastructure in Nigeria, Professor Odewunmi, a former dean of the School of Transportation and Logistics in LASU, said that almost every time the country and its people cite weak logistics as a strong factor that contributes to the high costs of goods and services, their lack of availability or delay in delivery to those who need them.
He said that this problem transcends government and corporate sectors to also affect groups, families and individuals.
He said that in terms of foreign trade, the situation becomes more cumbersome as a structural system and weak policies, border inefficiency, poor storage, insecurity, corruption and delay of bureaucratic customs, political instability, etc. Often compound logistics problems.
“Therefore, many things must be done to improve logistics infrastructure and keep the functional supply chains in Africa,” Odewunmi said.
The Don highlighted some areas of interventions that would be necessary and these include the Customs Customs System, the participation of the association, the investment in security and training, among others.
He noted that it is unfortunate that only a few universities, especially in Nigeria, including LASU, who are training students in transport and logistics studies.
Also speaking, Prof. Adegoke Oke, president of the Department of Management of the Supply Chain of the State University of Arizona, USA, also pointed out how important it is the life’s supply chain of every day.
He said that this was the base on which Carisca was formed five years ago and since then he has organized several forums, including the annual summit, where interested parties are making a brainstorm and share innovative ideas about the best ways for Africa to strengthen the supply chain system to meet international best practices.
He said: “We know that many people heard about the supply chain during Covid 19, but the supply chain has always been there as an important part of any organization or operation, either in the public or private sector.
“That is why without effective supply chains, we cannot obtain the products or services we buy, especially at the right time without losing quality or value, which means that the supply chain is important in all aspects of our daily life.”
Remembering that Carisca’s initial approach was in agriculture and medical care, the gift, co -founder of the organization, said that this is the first time that the summit will take place outside Ghana.
He said that Nigeria and many other African countries would need to take their infrastructure supply chains more seriously to boost economic growth and development in all sectors, including agriculture, medical care, tourism, transportation and trade.
He pointed out that when an avant -garde investigation is carried out, for example, in supply chains, not only the government and corporate organizations benefit, but also to families and individuals as final consumers.
In his own contribution, the carista director and marketing professor and international strategy at the University of Science and Technology of Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana, Nathaniel Boso, highlighted why the summit was held in Nigeria this year.
According to him, Nigeria has a high degree of diversity of people and is also one of the largest economies in Africa.
“Therefore, we want to see how we can make health supplies more visible not only in Nigeria, but throughout Africa, such that each point that a pharmaceutical product travels in a health supply chain system, we can track it in such a way that if the Nigeria government, for example, orders certain vaccines that are supposed to be supposed to health throughout the country, we Health are and in what quantity. ” “.” “.” “
He said that Africa really needs to revolutionize its space of supply chains to bring its economy to a larger height, and added that the time to do it is now.
Delivering an opening speech at the event, the Human and Health Services Commissioner of Ekiti, Dr. Oyebanji Filani, who spoke about “improving the quality and expansion of access: how the purchase of acquisitions grouped by the states can strengthen the health provision of Nigeria”, explained that it is not only the availability of goods and services assigned to supply hips, but also its quality, but also its quality, but also its quality, but also its quality, but also its quality, but also its quality. Accessibility and accessibility.
He pointed out that it is important that Nigeria at national and subnational levels expands the capacity of local medicines manufacturers and supply chain circles so that the medical care provision is profitable, functional, accessible and saves lives.
He said that it was why the role of the academy and private sector participants are important in this regard in creating innovative ideas that will turn the theory into practice.
He pointed out that with correct political incentives, catalytic financing and regulatory rationalization, local manufacturers could comply with a significant proportion of national demand, reducing our dependence on imports and the strengthening of national health security in the country.
In his comments, the vice chancellor of LASU, Professor Ibilola Olatunji-Bello, represented by Professor Tunji Azeez, expressed his delight that the summit was taken to Nigeria and with LASU as one of the key partners.
She said she was sure that the acquired knowledge and the high level of interractions and the creation of networks between the participants would produce a tremendous impact on the supply chain space in Africa..