Executive Secretary, Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), Mr Hassan Bello has assured that Inland Container Depots (ICDs) would soon take off in the nation’s six geo-political zones.
Bello made this known while playing host to Dr Chinedu Jideofor-Ogbuagu, the President, Marine Club of Nigeria (MCN), in Lagos on Wednesday.
The executive secretary said that the ICDs would bring shipping to the door steps of shippers at the grassroots and reduce the costs of doing business.
Bello said that the council, being the port economic regulator, had involved most stakeholders in most of its activities.
He said that the responsibility of the council was to ensure efficient, timely delivery of shipping services to importers and exporters by shipping service providers.
According to Bello, NSC must ensure moderation and stabilisation of the port charges.
He said that the council had become the intellectual arm of the Federal Ministry of Transportation by providing advice relating to maritime operations.
“The council has offices in the six geo-political zones- Ibadan, Aba, Port-Harcourt, Jos, Kano, Bauchi- and Abuja, dealing with shipping issues.
“We settle disputes among operators in the maritime industry and give other operators the confidence to patronise Nigerian ports for shipping business.
“’We also mediate on so many issues and we have won many cases for the shippers (importers and exporters) and other operators,’’ Bello said.
Earlier, Jideofor-Ogbuagu said that the visit was to seek partnership with the Shippers’ Council to explore the potential of maritime industry and boost the club’s corporate membership.
He said that the club had written letters to the NSC in respect of the partnership.
Jideofor-Ogbuagu said that the club was planning a three-day summit from June 26 to June 28 in Apapa, Lagos on the existing potential in industry.
According to him, the summit will be looking at the maritime, oil and gas policies.
“It is customary for an organisation whose chief executive officer is our patron to become a corporate member of the MCN.
“The executive secretary and nine other officials of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council will be issued membership cards.
“The membership will be in their personal names as long as they are in the service of the council,’’ he said.
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