– As he commemorates one year in office
Oritsegbubemi Omatseyin
Lagos — The Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, NSC, Barr. Akutah Pius, has commended the Management and Staff of the Council for their dedication and selfless service throughout the last one year.
At a media parley held in Lagos to commemorate his one year in office, Akutah stated that the milestone achievements recorded so far in NSC would not have been possible without the support from Management and Staff of the Council.
Akutah appreciated the Council’s media team, the Complaints Unit and other Units and Department for their continuous support towards meeting the Council’s aspirations.
The NSC boss also emphasised the need to strengthen the maritime logistics and infrastructures.
“As the nation’s Port Economic Regulator, we are exploring partnerships with global shipping companies to invest in Nigeria’s facilities and support this vision. We extracted commitments from some of these companies, and we expect to make real progress over the next year”, he said.
He added: “The shipping subsector of the economy is crucial. Our ports are dependent on the arrival of ships, so our partnership with shipping companies is vital for trade and economic growth. Connectivity within the African region remains a major problem. Goods have to route through Europe before reaching other African destinations, which increases both time and cost.”
According to him, the Nigerian Shippers’ Council as the nation’s Port Economic Regulator has made significant strides towards transforming the maritime industry. ‘‘We have managed to push forward incisive initiatives many stakeholders consider critical for the development of the sector.”
Speaking on the Council’s bill, Akutah was optimistic that the Bill which is presently before the upper house would soon be given concurrence and assent by the President. He said the bill is a major initiative that will reposition the maritime sector.
He also harped on the importance of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement, AfCFTA, adding that AfCFTA has opened the African markets to over 1.5billion people with a combined market price of $4 trillion.
