The Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC); Mr Hassan Bello, has thrown light into the concept of the Council transmuting into the new National Transport Commission (NTC), even as he disclosed that it is erroneous for anyone to think that the Shippers’ Council would transform into the Transport Commission.
Bello who gave the explanation last week in a chat with Shipping Position Daily in Lagos, however explained that, rather than transmute, the Council will be the nucleus for the new NTC in the area of building capacity in rail, air, inland water and other modes of transportation.
He also noted that the NTC Bill when signed into law will be a multi-sector regulator, although he said that the NTC will not dabble into technical regulation, which according to him, that is meant for some agencies of the government to take care of.
Bello however acknowledged that the transformation in the transportation industry lies on the Ports Harbours Bills, Railways Bill, NIWA Bill, all of which are at different stages of legislation.
He also added that in the process of the transmutation, the Shippers’ Council will have a say because of its vast experience in the sector.
“The Nigerian Shippers’ Council will not transmute into NTC, of course that is impossible. What is going to happen is that the Shippers’ Council will be the nucleus of the NTC which means you have to build capacity in rail, air, inland waters and other modes of transportation.
It is a multi-sector economic regulator; it is not going to dabble into any technical regulation that is meant for respective agencies to carry out. It will not have the issue of safety except maybe for oversight, it is going to be an independent regulator”, he explained.
“The cannel of transformation in transportation lies on Ports & Harbour bill, it lies on Nigerian Railway Bill, NIWA Bill, among others.”
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