The Executive Secretary, Nigerian Shippers’ Council, Mr Hassan Bello, said the Council was working to stop congestion and other surcharges being imposed on Nigerian-bound cargoes by international shipping lines.
Bello stated this at the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Forum in Abuja last week.
He told NAN that two weeks ago, he had a meeting with the carriers in Belgium on several charges, including congestion charges imposed on Nigerian-bound cargoes by foreign shipping lines.
“We need the carriers to be extremely transparent.
“We are against surcharges by the shipping lines, chief of which is the risk charges because of what they called piracy.
“One or two incidents of piracy is not enough to categorise Nigeria as a risk zone,” the executive secretary said.
Bello also talked about cargo diversion, saying that “in the contract of affreightment, it is the shipper who decides’’.
According to him, the shipper will look at the efficiency of a port including costs, documentation and the cargo dwell-time.
He said that cargo diversion was there before now because Nigerian ports were not efficient.
“Nigerian ports are becoming efficient and competitive and Niger Republic and Chad are now moving their cargoes through Nigerian ports,” he told NAN.
According to Bello, more could be done and NSC is working to increase efficiency of Nigerian ports.
Discussion about this post