Shippers’ Council Urges Operators To Make Nigerian Ports Preferred Cargo Destination

The Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), Mr Hassan Bello, has urged operators in the maritime industry to synergise in making Nigerian ports more competitive and preferred cargo destination.
Bello made the appeal in an interview in Lagos on Monday.
He said that the NSC was working closely with both government and private operators to cement the relationship and create a level-playing field for the operators.
He explained that, the Council is “looking for an equilibrium that is needed in port operation and that is why we interact with the operators regularly.
“The port system is a representation of various interests and everybody has a target.
“That is why there is need for a neutral observer that will bring everybody together.
“That is what Nigerian Shippers’ Council is doing to cement the relationship so that the synergy will be brought to bear for the positive contribution of shipping to the nation’s economy’’
“The more cargo we have, the more it translates to economic growth; the more it translates to employment; building of new infrastructure and making transportation the driver of the nation’s economy, “ Bello said.
According to him, the complaints by port users, shippers and shipping companies vary.
He said that the complaints were meant to make right what was done wrong, even as he added that, some complaints were monetary, some were lack of equipment and some were about short-landing of goods.
The executive secretary said that the Council had been persuasive with its regulatory power to eradicate the challenges hindering port operations and making Nigerian ports the preferred cargo destination.
He said that Nigeria had started gaining more cargoes from the ports of neighbouring countries, saying that before now, port operators preferred to go for the competitors because they usually bent their rules.
The NSC boss said that Nigeria had witnessed efficiency, seriousness and competition.
According to him, this is why Nigeria has been chosen as a preferred cargo destination.