In a shocking turn of events, Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria Shippers’ Council (NSC), Barrister Pius Akutah has revealed the council has jettisoned the National Transport Commission (NTC) bill to enable it to concentrate on the Nigerian Shipping and Port Economic Regulatory Agency Bill, which is being processed at the National Assembly.
Barrister Akutah revealed this in a media parley with journalists last week, where he stressed that the council’s attention is squarely on the pending legislation, which is aimed at repealing the Nigerian Shippers’ Council Act Cap N133 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (LFN) 2004, rather than pursuing the controversial NTC bill.
He further shed light on the political intricacies surrounding the NTC bill, indicating uncertainty about its current status at the National Assembly.
The NTC Bill which seeks to establish the National Transport Commission as an economic regulator of all activities undertaken in Nigeria’s transport sector, which has been rejected at different times at the National Assembly, due to some supposed offensive clauses embedded in it.
The NTC, which was set to replace the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, would operate as an independent regulator to promote multimodal transport and boost private sector participation in the provision of transport services.
Apparently signally and end to the NTC Bill, the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Shipping Services, Hon. Abdussamad Dasuki, on February 14, 2024 presented the Nigerian Shipping and Port Economic Regulatory Agency Bill, aimed at repealing the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) Act and to fully empower the Council for its regulatory role. The Bill thereafter successfully passed the mandatory second reading.
Highlighting the significance of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council Bill, its Executive Secretary emphasized the importance of this legislative process, noting that without the passage of the bill, the council lacks sufficient legal framework to fulfill its mandate as the Port Economic Regulator.
Akutah expressed urgency in expediting the passage of the Shippers’ Council bill, citing challenges faced by the council, including legal disputes that have reached the Supreme Court due to ambiguities in the current regulations.
“We at the Shippers’ Council were more concerned about the bill repealing the Shippers Council Act, Cap. N. 133 LFN 2004, and then enacting a new Nigerian Shippers Council Act, which will give us the mandate as the Port Economic Regulator and that is our concern”.
Specifically referring to the NTC Bill, he said “there is politics in the other bill, which I believe you are aware of. I don’t think the bill is still pending anywhere in the National Assembly. It went with the last Assembly. In my mind, it is only the Nigerian Shippers’ Council Bill that is pending at the National Assembly”.
“The repealing and enactment of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council Act, which is pending at the National Assembly is one critical area that we must focus attention on and ensure that that bill is passed expeditiously. This is because without that bill being passed, we do not have a legal framework that is adequate enough to enable us to carry out our mandate as part of the economy we regulate. We have been challenged before, all the way to the Supreme Court for exercising our powers under the regulations and the order of Mr. President appointing us. We have no choice but to get this law”, Akutah stressed.
Furthermore, he outlined his vision for the restructuring of the Council to align with its expanded mandate as the port economic regulator. He stressed the need for the council to regulate not only the welfare of shippers, but also the economic activities within the port domain, including tariff adjustments and overall economic benefits.
Central to this vision is the swift passage of the pending legislation, which Akutah believed will enhance the council’s ability to contribute meaningfully to the national Gross Domestic Product (GDP). He emphasized the importance of leveraging initiatives such as the implementation of the Integrated Customs Tariff Nomenclature (ICTN) to generate revenue for the government and bolster the council’s profile.
Highlighting it as a key objective for his tenure, Akutah underscored his commitment to ensuring the passage of the Shippers’ Council Bill which will in turn elevate the NSC’s role in driving economic growth and contributing to the national GDP.
“The major thing that I want to do going forward is the restructuring of the Shippers Council. You know that the Shippers Council is no longer what we used to know as the Shippers Council because the mandate has changed drastically. Now we have a mandate to be the port economic regulator. Meaning that the economic activities that happen within the port domain, we are responsible for regulating even the players. So we are not just about looking at the welfare of shippers, looking at the issues of tariffs adjustment. But we are looking at the overall economic benefits that will come out of that sector.
“When we implement the ICTN, at the end of the year, how much have we contributed to national GDP? We have to contribute. I want to be able to raise the profile of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, so that by the time I’m leaving; it will be contributing meaningfully to Nigerian national GDP. That’s one of the major achievements I want to attain” Akutah concluded.
