ABUJA: Importers and stakeholders in the Nigerian shipping sub-sector may have reasons to heave a sigh of relief soon as the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) is set to overhaul operations at Nigerian ports aimed at enhancing performance.
Bello said, “We are going to make our ports effective, efficient and competitive. We are going to reduce duel time for cargo at the ports; we are going to make the ports transparent through the introduction of automation and some technologies.”
The NSC boss called for collaboration of stakeholders, especially the media, towards realising the new strategies in reforming the sub-sector.
He said, “This we have been going around doing and we think that we need the cooperation of everybody because as far as the ports are concerned, all of us are stakeholders, particularly the press.”
Noting that Nigerian ports are “one of the most expensive in the sub-region or in the world,” he said the NSC, as an economic regulator, would take measures to monitor and correct disorders in the workings of a free market to address anti-competitive behaviours at the ports.
The executive secretary stated that stepping up operations at the ports to favourably compete with other nations’ ports would greatly impact on the growth of Nigerian economy.
“We should not forget that we are always in competition with our neighbouring ports and the more we attract goods in Nigeria through Nigerian ports, the more versatile our economy becomes because there will be a ripple effect on the economy,” he stressed.
On innovations to ensure transparency at the ports, he said, “We are now laying for the people, a new port order whereby things are done and processed scientifically. We are advocating innovations in our ports systems.”
He said the NSC was working towards eliminating physical human traffic and interactions through the use of advanced modern technology at the ports as a way of ensuring transparency and making ports operation corruption-free.
“Nigerian ports have, for example, recently introduced the e-payment system whereby payments are made electronically and this will take seconds to clear. This will facilitate trade,” he stated.
Bello also hinted that NSC was working with the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) to introduce what he called National Single Window (NSW), an electronic platform for centrally monitoring transactions done nationwide, aimed at promoting transparency.
Nda-Isaiah noted that Nigerian economy would do better with two or three revenue-earning parastatals well positioned to play key economic roles in revenue generation more than the oil sector.
He, however, wondered why it was taking so long to address the challenges in the shipping sub-sector and make Nigerian ports favourably more competitive.
“I don’t know why we are not in a hurry to become more competitive. If I am going to import, I will rather import through Benin Republic, even from your figures,” he said.
Nda-Isaiah further urged the council to take all necessary measures to solve the problems militating against effective operation at the ports, saying, “At least, let us know that there is a danger and start to do what we need to do immediately. In that respect, anything you think we can do to assist you to achieve it, you start doing it immediately”.
