Mohammed Shosanya
Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola,has decried the deplorable condition of ports in Nigeria, saying the rots and cracks in the ports infrastructure,over staying of cargoes at the ports, excesses of foreign fishing firms is discouraging.
Oyetola,who expressed this recently during a working visit to the Nigerian Shippers’ Council
Headquarters in Lagos,added that long bureaucratic processes are major factors responsible for elongated cargo clearance time, thereby frustrating shippers and leading to the jettisoning of their containers at ports.
A statement by Henshaw Ogubike, the Director, Press and Public Relations,quoted the Minister as stating that he would engage the leadership of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) on the issue of abandoned cargoes at the ports in a bid to evacuate overtime cargoes and address other bottlenecks.
He said government will continue to provide conducive working environment for the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), that will facilitate the disposal of overtime cargoes at all the ports in the country and pave way for effective and efficient service delivery.
He also assured the council that government would look into their challenges and effect necessary reforms where needed for the success of the Blue Economy agenda of the current administration.
In his welcome address, the Executive Secretary of the NSC, Hon. Emmanuel Jime, highlighted issues requiring urgent attention to include the amendment of NSC Act to institute effective port economic regulation.
Besides,Jime said that the NSC is a laboratory where policy making that drives the marine space is being regulated, adding that its objective is to ensure that Nigeria is the Maritime Hub in the sub- Western Region.
He disclosed that the actualization of one-percent (1%) freight stabilization fee on import and export to Shippers Council as enshrined in the NSC Subsidiary Legislation; implementation of the International Cargo Tracking Note (ICTN); establishment of a National Fleet, among others are the current concerns of the council.
He expressed his confidence in the administration of the new Miinister adding that the Minister has displayed passion towards creating impact in the maritime sector.
According to the statement,the Minister also visited the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN), where the Acting Registrar, Chinyere Uromta,implored him to reconsider the Federal Government’s decision to exclude CRFFN from the National budgetary allocation, emphasizing on the crucial roles the Council plays in the freight forwarding sector.
She said CRFFN has brought so much sanity in the logistics of supply chain subsector and the Nigerian shipping industry. Hitherto, the era was characterized by missing cargoes.
She added that CRFFN is a Federal regulatory Agency and doubles as international regulator of freight forwarding practice in global setting.
She maintained that the CRFFN jurisdiction includes marine, aviation (cargo airport) and land borders.
She said: “Our establishing Act portrays us as a professional body and not a regulatory agency and we are making a clarion call for urgent amendment to CRFFN Act”.
