In order to ensure that the Nigeria Shippers’ Council actualizes its mandate as the port economic regulator, the council's boss, Barrister Hassan Bello has said that the impact of the agency might not be felt without an enabling laws.
Speaking at a One-day Seminar titled: "Working Towards a New Port Order", organized by the Shippers Association Lagos State in collaboration with the council, Bello said that the council since its establishment in 1978 has come of age and has been performing regulatory functions.
In order to ensure that the Nigeria Shippers’ Council actualizes its mandate as the port economic regulator, the council's boss, Barrister Hassan Bello has said that the impact of the agency might not be felt without an enabling laws.
Speaking at a One-day Seminar titled: "Working Towards a New Port Order", organized by the Shippers Association Lagos State in collaboration with the council, Bello said that the council since its establishment in 1978 has come of age and has been performing regulatory functions.
Represented by Executive Director of Inland Services of the council; Mrs. Adebisi Adeagbo, Bello said that part of the strategies the agency had adopted since its appointment as economic regulator include series of consultations with several stakeholders including shipping companies and other service providers.
He however stressed that, "it is pertinent to mention that in order to maximize the capacity of the Council to actualize the mandate given to it by government; the necessary legal frame work must be in place".
Bello said that considerable effort is already being made on this and that it will be concluded soon.
He recalled that the failure of Nigerian ports to compete with other ports in West and Central African Sub region has led to diversion of cargoes to neighboring countries.
Bello said that the Shippers’Council is desirous of a port system where there will be fair port pricing, well automated, where disputes are settled timely and amicably and where there is easy access into and out of the ports.
"Such port system will definitely eliminate corruption and reduce the problem of demurrage and human traffic at the port to the barest minimum, the council is working assiduously to ensure that it is able to achieve these objectives within the shortest possible time" he assured.
Also speaking, President of the Lagos Shippers’ Association, Rev. Jonathan Nicole appealed to Nigerian shippers to fuse together and become one in other to form alignment with the Shippers’Council.
Rev. Nicole pointed out that in attaining a new port order, there is need for automation of the ports, building of truck terminals and port access roads, turn-around of vessels within 5-7 working days be reduced and that security in the port must be enhanced.
He canvassed that shipping and terminal charges be reduced by a reasonable proportion and that the Nigerian foreign exchange market be stabilized, among other demands.
Nicole alleged that the Federal Government has not done enough to assuage the challenges of shippers; he said that shippers need to be protected in order to prevent Nigerian economy from collapse.
He demanded that the Shippers Association Lagos State must be funded regularly and be given a monthly grant to run its secretariat.
"We are working to bring about sanity in our maritime industry, government and its agencies are the beneficiaries, therefore there is need to provide funds to support us as required by the UNCTAD laws" he said.
On his part, the Customs Area Controller in charge of Apapa command; Charles Edike said that in recognition of the important role of Nigerian shippers and freight forwarders, the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Alhaji Dikko Abdullahi has put machineries in place to ensure fast clearance of cargoes from the port and reduce cost of clearing.
"This we started with the Single Window, after this was the Trade Hub, after this we had the PAAR, all of these are geared towards facilitating trade, it is the shippers that enjoy all these" he said.
Discussion about this post