The Nigeria Shippers’ Council yesterday in Lagos insisted that the ultimate aim of the council is to ensure that cargo clearance and delivery process in the nation’s seaports is automated so as to reduce human contact between consignees and officers of service providers.
The Council’s executive secretary; Mr Hassan Bello stated this at a meeting with some stakeholders including terminal operators and officers of the Nigeria Customs Service.
The Nigeria Shippers’ Council yesterday in Lagos insisted that the ultimate aim of the council is to ensure that cargo clearance and delivery process in the nation’s seaports is automated so as to reduce human contact between consignees and officers of service providers.
The Council’s executive secretary; Mr Hassan Bello stated this at a meeting with some stakeholders including terminal operators and officers of the Nigeria Customs Service.
At the meeting which was chaired by the Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Shippers’ Council, issues bordering on factors militating against 48 hours cargo clearance procedures, delay in carrying out examination of containers, transit trade and measures to adopt in order to reduce human contact in the clearing process were put on the table.
He told the stakeholders that, our ultimate aim is automation, that is, to provide platforms for cargo clearance so that our ports can become efficient because we have the all important freight forwarders here in attendance who after this meeting will make meaningful input on the way out"
The meeting was attended by top management executives of the Shippers’ Council, terminal operators represented by the Seaport Terminal Operators Association of Nigeria (STOAN),top officers from the Nigeria Customs Service from, Tin Can Island ,Apapa and Lilypond Commands and some freight forwarders.
Even though journalists were not allowed to be part of the meeting, the council's Executive Secretary, Barrister Hassan Bello had in his opening remark harped on the need for stakeholders like STOAN, Customs and freight forwarders to come together, discuss and proffer solution to the challenges of the maritime sector.
He described the council as a referee to the stakeholders, even as he added that there is need to interact constantly.
Bello told the meeting that, "it is always good to come together because with regular discussion I think we will be able to find solution to the problem in our ports"
"The idea is that the Nigeria Shippers Council is the referee in this friendly context and the more we interact with the service providers and government agencies, the better understanding we will get"
The Shippers’ Council boss further lauded the large turn out of the terminal operators despite their tight schedule, he also commended the presence of the top echelon of customs, describing them as the major trade facilitators in port.
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