By Steve Agbota     

The Federal Government, at the weekend, reaffirmed the NIgerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), as the main port economic regulator. This was as the government is considering an out of court settlement with terminal operators and shipping companies over arbitrary charges.

Speaking at a one-day sensitisation meeting organised by the Federal Ministry of Transportation and the Council, with the theme: “Promoting Competitiveness and Compliance in Nigerian Maritime Industry: Mandate of the NSC in Focus,” which held in Lagos, the Permanent Secretary, FMOT, Dr Madgalene Ajani, said talks are ongoing with the terminal operators to end the legal tussle which is currently at the supreme court after a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, had ruled in favour of the Nigerian Shippers Council with directive for the terminal operators to return to status quo in the stipulated pricing.  The ministry’s permanent secretary, however said aside Shippers’ Council’s role as the OMBUDSMAN of the ports,  it remained the Port Economic Regulator pending the establishment and operationalisation of the National Transport Commission (NTC), as an independent regulatory authority in the transport sector.

She, however, affirmed the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) as the technical regulator of the ports, saying the ministry is aware that the Council had faced resistance from some stakeholders in the maritime industry in the earlier stages of implementation of its regulation.

She added that with various stakeholders’ meetings, engagements and consensus building, the various stakeholders have expressed their commitment and cooperation with the council on ensuring the successful implementation of the regulation.

Related News

Dr Ajani informed that Nigerian Shippers’ Council was appointed as the interim port economic regulator in 2014, as a government response to fill the vacuum and address the challenges facing the port system.

According to her, the major objective of government in appointing the Nigerian Shippers’ Council as the interim port economic regulator was to create an effective regulatory regime at the port for the control of tariffs, charges and other related economic services by the virtue of economic regulatory order No 34 of 2015 issued by the President in pursuant to section 5 and 145 of the 1999 constitution as gazetted.

Speaking earlier in his welcome address, the executive secretary of the Nigerian Shippers Council, Emmanuel Jime stated that with the concession of the ports in 2006, cargo throughput substantially increased. 

According to him, about 70 per cent of export cargoes are primary commodities while the majority of imports are consumer goods.