By Shola Fadeyi
Fresh from the strings of successes achieved in the last one year, under the Barrister Pius Akutah- led management, the Nigerian Shippers’ Council(NSC), is to begin the implementation of a new five- year mid term strategic plan ,that will its increase partnership with mega shipping firms and indigenous carriers and its contributions to Nigeria’s economic development.
This followed the completion of the cycle of an earlier three- year plan, part of which the Akutah management has utilised to enhance the development of the Shippers’ Council, the Seaport sector and the economy.
The Shippers’ Council Executive Secretary/CEO, Barrister Pius Akutah confirmed at an event organised by the Council in Lagos at the weekend, to celebrate his one year in office ,that the earlier three years plan had ended and that the five years plan would soon be unfolded once the Council’s Board meets to deliberate on the matter.
He however said that in the coming years , the Shippers’ Council’s focus will be on deepening partnership with foreign big and local shipping companies as part of measures to increase the level of their development in the country and make them contribute more to the development of the shipping sector and the economy.
The fact that the Council has started this trajectory as Akutah said , may have made it possible for Mediteranean Shipping Company(MSC) , the largest container shipping line globally, to be represented by its Deputy Managing Director,Jacob Iosso , at the Council’s event , where the ES/ CEO unfolded his achievements and plans for the future.
He disclosed that more attention would be placed on ensuring inter- modalism and inter-connectivity in the economy , adding this will make the Council to deepen its MOU with the Nigerian Railway Corporation(NRC), for goods to easily be carried by rail to other parts of the country.
Akutah said that the need to further encourage more exports in the economy and fulfil the mandate of the Minister of Marine and Blue economy ,will make the Council to speed up the establishment and completion of more of the Inland Container Depots(IDPs) , adding that ICDs are meant to encourage exports.
He said part of the management’s attention in the next one year would be to ensure that the National Assembly gives concurrence to the Nigerian Shipping and Ports Regulatory Agency Bill , for it to receive President Bola Tinubu’s accent , becomes a law so that the Council can effectively discharge its economic regulatory role.
Akutah said the Council’s management would also work towards facilitating trade at the Ports , collaborate with the Nigerian Ports Authority to check congestion at the terminals, pointing out that though the access roads to the Ports are no longer congested ,but that there should be increase in imports of machinery and other essential goods at the Ports.
It will be recalled that the management in the last one year was able to save the Nigerian economy not less than N46 billion through its Regulatory Services Department which saved N40bn by confirming fees and charter party agreements, and the Compliant Unit which saved N6bn that would have been lost as legal fees, orders to ground ships, among others.
The management had also developed an Application about eight months ago , among its other digitalization initiatives, through which it saved the money that would have been lost to the economy , successful facilitated the commissioning of the Funtua inland dry Port(IDP) and the completion of the ICD in Jos and the development of the Vehicle Transit Areas (VTAs) and the Border Stations as well as delivered on its economic regulatory role.
