By Emma Sunday
On Thursday, February 15, 2024, the Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC) launched an online portal for registration of regulated port service providers at the Petroleum Training Institute (PTI) conference center in Effurun, Delta State.
The event was attended by members of the organized private sector and other maritime stakeholders, including terminal operators, shipping agents, freight forwarders, and port users.
Others in attendance at the event were; DACCIMA President, Chief Anthony Idigbe, represented by Rev. Lucky Otegheri, the DACCIMA 2nd Deputy President and Dr. Austin Egbegbadia, President, Delta Shippers Association (DELSA) among others.
The keynote address was delivered by the Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of the NSC, Barr Pius Akuta, who was represented by Mr. Akujobi, a Director with the Council. Akutah while declaring the event open, emphasized the importance of shippers and port service providers registering on the portal.
He said that the portal was designed to enhance the efficiency and transparency of port operations, as well as to facilitate trade and compliance with international standards.
He also said that the portal would enable the NSC to monitor and regulate the activities of port service providers, and to protect the interests of shippers and port users.
The Executive Secretary/CEO of the NSC in his presentation, listed the benefits of compliance and the penalties for non-compliance with the online registration process by all genuine port users.
He mentioned the benefits to include access to information, reduced costs, improved service delivery, dispute resolution, and protection from fraud and malpractice, while the noncompliance will amount to suspension, revocation, or denial of license, fines, and prosecution.
During the question and answer session, Akutah addressed the concerns of participants, who lamented the low patronage of the Delta ports, assuring that the NSC was working to promote economic activities at all the ports in the federation, including the Delta ports.
He said that the NSC was collaborating with other agencies, such as the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), to improve the infrastructure and security of the ports, and to remove the bottlenecks and challenges facing port users.
High points of the event was the official launch of the online portal user guide, a replication of what the NSC has done in other ports, such as Area 1 and Onne Ports, both in Rivers State.
The user guide according to him provides a step-by-step instruction on how to register and use the portal, as well as the requirements and fees for different categories of port service providers.
