There are strong indications that the Nigerian Shippers' Council (NSC) is on the right track to getting its much-cherished commercial regulator role in the nation’s port system.
Shipping Position Daily gathered that the sustained lobby by the Council may have started paying-off as the Presidency is said to have been convinced about the need to transmute the agency to the commercial regulator of port activities.
There are strong indications that the Nigerian Shippers' Council (NSC) is on the right track to getting its much-cherished commercial regulator role in the nation’s port system.
Shipping Position Daily gathered that the sustained lobby by the Council may have started paying-off as the Presidency is said to have been convinced about the need to transmute the agency to the commercial regulator of port activities.
Our source hinted last week that the Council was preferred to Nigeria Ports Authourity (NPA) and Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) because of the enormous responsibilities that the duos are currently saddled with.
Shipping Position Daily learnt last week that the nod for the Council to supervise and checkmate series of complaints by operators, was aided by the recent visit of the Minister of National Planning; Dr Shamsudeen Usman.
It was also confirmed that the Nigeria Customs Service also played a key role in the lobby for Shippers’ Council to secure the approval by the federal government.
Sources said that any mom net from now, the NSC will get a letter of approval from the Presidency to run as a commercial port regulator.
Giving an insight into some of the details of the approval, our source disclosed that Shippers’ Council will have powers over all terminal operators and also be empowered to oversee the activities of the concessionaires.
He disclosed that the council will also be required to beef up its staff strength to fill the vacancies that will come with new departments that will need to be created.
Apart from regulating the concessionaires, the document also states that NSC will monitor the activities of shipping companies, in order to balance its complaints from importers and exporters.
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