Shipper’s Council Boss, Akutah Celebrates 1-Year in Office, Mulls Regulatory Reforms, Economic Growth Initiatives

The Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, (NSC), Barr. Pius Akutah, has outlined several initiatives as he marks one year in office, aimed at enhancing Nigeria’s maritime sector and aligning it for significant growth within Africa’s evolving trade landscape.

Akutah emphasized his tenure’s milestones as well as the council’s ongoing commitment to addressing trade inefficiencies while speaking at the event in Lagos on Sunday, November 3rd, 2024.

Akutah said, “In the last year, the Nigerian Shippers’ Council has made significant strides towards transforming the maritime sector. We have managed to push forward initiatives that many considered critical to the progress of our sector.”

He described the Nigerian Port Economic Regulatory Agency Bill, as “one noble objective needed to bring about the efficiency of this sector that has eluded us over the years.”

According to him, the bill, which has passed the House of Representatives and is awaiting Senate concurrence and Mr President assent, is designed to fortify Nigeria’s maritime sector through comprehensive regulatory reform, reposition the sector for economic growth, job creation, and other sectoral achievements.

Akutah highlighted the importance of Nigeria capitalizing on the African Free Continental Trade Area (AfCFTA), which he said had opened the African market to over 1.5 billion people with a combined market size of over $4 trillion.

He encouraged stakeholders to work collaboratively to reinforce Nigeria’s position within this enormous marketplace, emphasizing that the council is focused on creating the framework for Nigeria to be competitive.

“We cannot leave our markets open for other countries without taking steps to ensure we benefit. Our goal is to develop manufacturing so that Nigerian goods can be exported across Africa,” he added.

Akutah, however, intends to address in the coming year is maritime logistics and infrastructure, noting that “The shipping subsector of this economy is crucial, our ports are dependent on the arrival of ships, so our partnership with shipping companies is vital for trade and economic growth. Right now, connectivity within the African region remains a major challenge. Goods often have to route through Europe before reaching other African destinations, which increases both time and cost.”

He revealed that the council’s plan of action going forward, includes positioning Nigeria as a maritime logistics hub for Africa.

“We are exploring partnerships with major global shipping companies to invest in Nigeria’s facilities and support this vision. We have extracted commitments from some of these companies, and we expect to make real progress over the next year,” Akutah stressed.

Akutah stated further that, “Our collaboration with the shipping sub-sector has led to the successful negotiation of minimum standards for entry and exit in the sector. This achievement was only possible due to the support of all stakeholders present here.”

He commended the Council’s Compliance Unit, noting that their efforts have saved Nigeria approximately N6billion, funds that otherwise would have been lost to legal disputes and stalled operations.

The NSC boss said “Through our conflict resolution mechanism, we have avoided costly disruptions. This work has not only improved the quality of trade but also saved our economy.”

Dignitaries in attendance at the event include the President General of Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) Comrade Adewale Adeyanju, MSC Shipping Deputy Managing Director, Jacob Losso, Chairmn of Shipping Companies Association, Boma Alabi SAN, President of the Africa Association of Professional Freight Forwarders and Logistics of Nigeria (APFFLON), Lagos Chairman of Nigerian Union of Journalists, Mr Adeleye Ajayi, among others.