Shippers’ Council pledges to foster global maritime best practices

Mr Hassan Bello

Mr Hassan Bello, Executive Secretary, Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC).

Mr Hassan Bello, Executive Secretary, Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC).

The Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) will be  partnering the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) to promote a conducive business environment and global best practices in the maritime sector.

The Executive Secretary of the NSC, Mr Hassan Bello, disclosed this in Lagos on Friday at a meeting with PEBEC and the shipping lines.

According to him, the NSC is assigned the responsibility of moderating and transmitting  the manifests of shipping lines to the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS).

“In line with the action plan to drive the Federal Government’s Ease of Doing Business policy, critical initiatives  have been assigned to different agencies.

“The Nigerian Shippers’ Council is assigned the task to look at some operations of the shipping companies in a bid to ensure transparency,” the NSC boss said.

Bello said the essence of the meeting was to seek the inputs of the stakeholders on the way forward and that PEBEC was critical to investments in the country.

He explained that it was the duty of the government to create and maintain a conducive atmosphere for businesses to thrive in the country.

He also said that the support from the stakeholders would help move the industry forward.

“Today, the intimacy has started with this interaction with both PEBEC and shipping companies.

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“They have heard  many things about Nigeria and they have always been proffering solutions, they are critical stakeholders and partners, ” Bello said.

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The Senior Special Adviser to the President on Industry Trade and Investments, Dr Jumoke Oduwole, said the meeting threw up some challenges faced by the shipping companies.

She said that the government would tackle them.

Oduwole said the committee asked for global best practices, which was obtainable and that the initiative would boost the economy.

“What we are asking for is global best practices and it is not beyond the shipping lines.

“They operate in other places and they made commitment to us that they will, indeed, be turning in their manifests as requested.

“The core objective of this initiative is to work with stakeholders and ensure that things are properly done to boost the Nigerian economy.

“It was a very productive meeting. The shipping companies are definitely going to fall in line and will be more committed,” Oduwole said.

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