Oritsegbubemi Omatseyin
Lagos — The Nigerian Shippers’ Council, NSC, and the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, have joined forces to advance the nation’s maritime sector.
The Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of NSC, Barr. Akutah Pius, led the NSC management team on a courtesy visit to the NPA headquarters in Lagos where he emphasised the need for effective collaboration among the industry stakeholders to meet national economic goals and support President Bola Tinubu’s vision of economic growth through the maritime industry.
He pledged the commitment of the NSC to engage with industry stakeholders in line with the government’s efforts to improve the business environment within the port industry, thereby making Nigeria’s seaports more efficient and globally competitive.
The NSC boss expressed optimism that the leadership qualities and extensive experience of both agencies will help transform the country’s ports, attract more international trade and boost revenue generation.
Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, the MD of NPA who welcomed the NSC visiting team appreciated the NSC leadership for their visit and emphasised the need for enhanced partnership to ensure that the Apapa ports access roads are kept clear for smooth cargo movement.
He highlighted key initiatives of the NPA such as the Electronic Call-Up System for haulage trucks operating within the maritime Industry. He said the Electronic Call-Up System was a crucial step toward decongesting the port corridor.
He noted the importance of the international Cargo Tracking Note, ICTN, to the maritime sector, urging the NSC to actively pursue its implementation across the nation’s ports.
While calling for joint efforts to monitor the activities of port concessionaires to ensure effective service delivery, Dantsoho observed that there is need for further partnerships in line with efforts to take the industry to enviable heights.
He noted that together, stakeholders would drive progress for a more efficient port system in Nigeria for the overall benefit of the national economy.
