Oritsegbubemi Omatseyin
Lagos — The Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of Nigerian Shippers Council, NSC, Barr. Pius Akutah, has received an award from the University of Port Harcourt Centre for Risk Management and Development Studies.
The award was bestowed in commemoration of the 2024 International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction.
The event with the theme “The Role of Education in Protecting and Empowering Youth for a Disaster-Free Future”, was organised by the University of Port Harcourt Centre for Risk Management and Development Studies, in collaboration with the National Emergency Management Agency, with a public lecture on risk reduction.
Speaking at the event, Akutah, who was represented by the Director of Consumer Affairs Department, Mr. Onojedo Glory, echoed the role of the Nigeria Shippers’ Council in building a disaster-free maritime area in the Niger Delta.
According to him, the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, as a cargo interest, is to ensure that cargo is handled and transported to and from its destination in an economical and safe condition. He said NSC is very concerned about every measure that can guarantee disaster-free maritime in the Niger Delta.
“As a port economic regulator, the Nigerian Shippers Council provides oversight monitoring activities and reports incidents that have the potential to cause maritime disasters to the appropriate agency,” he added.
He called for continuous collaboration with other agencies in the Marine and Blue Economy sector to create awareness of maritime disasters and how to prevent them.
He recommended a 5-10 year government policy to develop a comprehensive maritime security strategy, establish a regional maritime training institute, implement advanced technologies for surveillance, foster international cooperation and collaboration, and develop a robust incident management system.
