About eight years after the nation’s port were concessioned to private operators, the Maritime Reporters Association of Nigeria (MARAN) is set to hold a stakeholders summit to X-ray the pricing system at Nigerian ports in order to ensure equity and fairness.
This is coming barely two months after the Nigerian Shippers’ Council was appointed by the Federal Government to act as commercial regulator of the port.
About eight years after the nation’s port were concessioned to private operators, the Maritime Reporters Association of Nigeria (MARAN) is set to hold a stakeholders summit to X-ray the pricing system at Nigerian ports in order to ensure equity and fairness.
This is coming barely two months after the Nigerian Shippers’ Council was appointed by the Federal Government to act as commercial regulator of the port.
Leading the pack of stakeholders to speak at the summit is the Minister of Transport, Senator Idris Umar, as well as the Senior Special Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan on maritime, Mr. Leke Oyewole.
Head of Maritime parastatals expected to speak at the event also include: the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers Council, Barrister Hassan Bello, and the Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority, Mallam Habeeb Abdullahi.
The summit titled "Pre-requisites for a fair port pricing regime: Shippers Perspective" is expected to hold on 5th of May in Lagos.
According to the Chairman of the organizing committee, Mr. Kayode Atofolaki, summit participants will include seaport and off dock terminal operators, freight forwarding associations, shipping companies, Nigeria Customs Service, importers and exporters.
Others include; Council for Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN), Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, Nigeria Association of Chambers of Commerce and Industry Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA)
Atofolaki pointed out that the summit is key, because it will afford stakeholders the opportunity to brainstorm and bring to fore the various challenges in the port system so as to assist the Shippers Council in its new role.
"This is coming eight years after the nation’s seaports were concessioned to private operators, without institutionalized system to regulate the tariff regime in the port", he added, even as he stated that: "With the new development, the time is ripe to appraise the competitiveness of Nigerian ports and what measures or structures should be established to ensure a fair and equitable port pricing system" he said.
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