The Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) has launched an online registration portal for the effective regulation of all port service providers and users. This is even as the council has urged all relevant stakeholders to register with the NSC to avoid applicable sanctions.
Speaking at the unveiling of the portal at the Council’s headquarters in Lagos on Friday, the NSC Executive Secretary, Mr Emmanuel Jime noted that the online portal is an upgrade from manual registration to a fully-automated registration platform.
Jime also added that the platform is interactive in nature without any physical interface where stakeholders from the desk of their offices register their companies online without having to visit the Council as long as the necessary requirements and payments are made.
The Executive Secretary stated that the registration exercise is in various categories and attracts a token fee as the motive is not to generate revenue. He added that the certificates will be issued which will be renewable annually with a token.
While stressing the importance of the registration, Jime stated that it is mandatory for all service providers and users to register and obtain a certificate of registration before they can be adjudged as legally- operating at the nation’s seaports and to avoid applicable sanctions.
In his words: “This is one of the series of sensitization seminars that the Council organized for service providers, users and other stakeholders in the sector on the need to register with the Council and benefits to be derived from the registration.
“Today marks a milestone as we upgrade from manual registration to a fully-automated registration platform. The platform we are launching is interactive in nature as the physical interface is eliminated. From your desk in your office, you can register your company online without having to visit any Council office as long as you fulfill the requirements and make the necessary payments.
“The registration exercise is in various categories and attracts a token fee as the motive is not to generate revenue. It is mandatory for all service providers and users to register and obtain a certificate of registration before they can be adjudged as legally operating at the nation’s seaports. It is therefore important to register with the NSC to avoid applicable sanctions.
“Registration provides the Economic Regulator a database of service providers that are genuine as well as shippers and other stakeholders operating in our port system. This will enable the industry to operate in a safe and secure business environment and eliminate the challenges of faceless stakeholders in the port system” Jime noted.
Also speaking, the Director of Consumer Affairs Department, Chief Catejan Agu elucidated on the numerous benefits of the portal, noting that it will help eradicate faceless shippers, ensure capacity building and enlightenment programmes for registered stakeholders as well as periodic access to information from the Council.
Chief Agu noted that port service providers and users who refuse to register with the council as stipulated by law will face withdrawal of NSC’s services, cancellation of registration certificates/license to operate at the ports among others.
The URL for the online registration portal is https://registration.
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