The Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) is advocating better treatment for Nigerian shippers operating in foreign countries.
Dr Pius Akutah, Executive Secretary of the Council, made the call during a courtesy visit to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Yusuf Tuggar, on Friday in Abuja.
Akutah emphasised the need for fairer treatment of Nigerian shippers abroad, especially in countries with strong trade ties to Nigeria.
“This visit aims to foster collaboration and deepen institutional partnerships between the NSC and the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs,” he said.
He called for the establishment of liaison desks in Nigerian embassies to support shippers and resolve challenges faced during international operations.
“There is a need for improved treatment of Nigerian shippers abroad, particularly in China where a large volume of trade occurs,” Akutah noted.
Speaking further, Dr. Akutah said that the Council is looking at improved trade intelligence that will help the Council, because it is a data generating agency that will want to see how with trade intelligence, it can be able to navigate dispute resolution between Shippers around the world through diplomatic channels.
Akutah expressed the Council’s interest in partnering with nations that have established Blue Economy structures.
He also sought the Minister’s support for emergence of Nigerians into key representative positions in most of the critical international institutions like the International Maritime Organization (IMO), United Nation’s Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and World Customs Organization (WCO).
In response, Tuggar reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to supporting the NSC in fulfilling its mandate.
He encouraged the Council to continue working with the ministry to realise clearly defined goals.
