…Council harmonises charges, secures historic funding, pushes Single Window implementation
The Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) has saved the Nigerian economy over ₦90.60 billion and $1.348 million through regulatory interventions and Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) in the last two years.
The Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of NSC, Dr. Pius Akutah, disclosed this on Saturday during a media parley and luncheon with editors and maritime reporters in Lagos.
Giving a breakdown, Akutah said the Council protected ₦86.06 billion in unjustified demurrage payments and secured additional savings of ₦4.54 billion and $1.348 million for shippers and other port users since he assumed office in November 2023.
He said the recoveries were part of a broader reform agenda to reposition the NSC as Nigeria’s Port Economic Regulator, in line with the Renewed Hope of President Bola Tinubu and the policy direction of the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Dr. Adegboyega Oyetola.
ADR Drives Dispute Resolution
Akutah revealed that the Council received 558 complaints within the period, out of which 295 commercial disputes were resolved through ADR.
“The growing adoption of ADR reflects stakeholders’ confidence in the Council’s role in resolving conflicts between shippers, terminal operators, and other players in the maritime sector”, he said.
Tariff Harmonisation, Trade Facilitation Gains
On cost reduction, the NSC boss said the Council had harmonised bonded terminal invoice charges from 18 categories to six to improve transparency and reduce the cost of doing business at Nigerian ports.
He also highlighted progress on trade facilitation, including key steps toward the implementation of the National Single Window and the resolution of issues that delayed the rollout of the International Cargo Tracking Note (ICTN).
Institutional Milestones
Akutah described two major achievements as historic:
*The passage of the Nigerian Port Economic Regulatory Agency (NPERA) Bill by both chambers of the National Assembly, awaiting Presidential Assent.
*Securing statutory funding for NSC through the 2025 Appropriation Act – the first since the Council’s establishment in 1978.
To drive digital transformation, he said the Council had deployed an Enterprise Content Management System (ECMS) and launched a Leadership and Succession Planning Project. He added that preparations for the 18th International Maritime Seminar for Judges had been concluded.
On human capital, Akutah disclosed that the Council recently onboarded new staff in line with Civil Service guidelines, who have since resumed.
He said the cumulative reforms were aimed at repositioning the NSC as a modern, efficient, and globally competitive institution to support the Federal Government’s vision for the port and maritime sector.