WASHINGTON: Barring any last minute changes, the new Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) Traders’ Portal, an electronic platform that would serve as an information pool for all port trade operators and agencies of government, will be commissioned by the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo on Thursday.
The Executive Secretary/ CEO of Nigerian Shippers’ Council, Hassan Bello, who disclosed this on Thursday in Lagos, said the platform was initiated to eradicate every form of delay and human encumbrances militating against efficient port service delivery system. He added that the online platform will address the various complaints and challenges being faced by port users and operators timely.
Bello, who was speaking with the pioneer leaders of the Association of Maritime Journalists of Nigeria (AMJON), who paid him a courtesy visit in his office, lamented that the port operating system is still largely primitive in matters of critical information and data management which must be changed in order to achieve the desired competitiveness in Nigeria’s aim for anticipated hub status.
He said: “We are going electronic in our operations. We are part of the port unit, Nigerian Ports Authority, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, ICPC, UNDP and others. We have decided to streamline the ports operating procedures of every agency in the port.
“The initiative is to eliminate issues that will cause unnecessary delays in clearance of cargo. So all port operators are involved, we want to be able to compare with international standards, to cut delays and corruption,” he said. He stated that the more efficient Nigeria’s ports become the more cargo it will attract “and the more contributions the port system can make in the diversification of our sources of revenue.” He said the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) will make more money, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NlMASA) will make more money, Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and Nigeria Shippers’ Council (NSC) will make more money.
