The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) has disclosed that it is going to form a committee with the Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC) to review some existing policies in the maritime sector and to reduce shipping costs.
The Director General, MAN, Mr. Segun Ajayi Kadir, made this disclosure last week when the association hosted the Executive Secretary of the NSC, Mr. Hassan Bello, with other top management staff of the Council at their office in Ikeja, Lagos.
Kadir, reiterated the need for the agency to work together closely in a well structured manner in other to move the sector forward.
The DG also promised that the partnership with the ports economic regulator will also address the issue of reduction of the cost that is being observed in the sector adding that the nation is a very high cost environment.
“We need to work together and even more closely now and in moving the sector forward we have decided that we are going to have it in a well structured manner. This will lead to the creation of a platform where we will have people from both sides and have a meeting to address both current issues and being a standing one. So what is coming out of this engagement is the fact that we are going to have a committee that is going to facilitate those areas that we have decided to collaborate"
"Part of it as we have also mentioned is the review of existing policies that have impact on the areas that we are mutually involved so that we can have impact on more objectives and be able to move forward. Another very important one is the overall reduction in the cost that is being observed in the sector. As we know Nigeria is a very high cost environment and we compete with goods from outside the country that come from a low cost environment. We need to drive down cost and our interaction is going to be key in determining the way to achieve this”
According to him, the issue of the International Cargo Tracking Note(ICTN) is with the national assembly waiting to be properly addressed.
On the issue of creating more activities in the eastern ports, Kadir said that their collaboration with the Shippers Council will be able to properly address the concern of the stakeholders on that aspect.
He also said that they are working towards engaging other government agencies like the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) in this partnership.
In his reaction, the Executive Secretary of NSC, Hassan Bello, said that the visit is to express the commitment of MAN and NSC, to work together with the view to create a more conducive environment for businesses.
He reemphasized the importance of MAN saying that they are important in the maritime sector and a statutory member of the board of the shippers’ council.
“In this struggle of reorientation and diversification of the economy, I come today to first of all congratulate you on your election as the president of MAN at this critical time of our country’s history"
"I must also congratulate MAN for making a very good choice, you are involved in the economy for as long as I remember and I think at this critical time we need people who has a hands on approach on the economy, so we congratulate you and MAN. So we come to express the commitment of MAN and Shippers Council to work together with the new president with the view to create a more conducive environment for conducting business at the Nigerian sea port at a reasonable cost"
Bello also promised that the council as an economic regulator will to support projects and programs that will increase efficiency at the Nigerians ports.
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