The Nigerian Shippers Council has in the meantime, given the service providers and port operators up till the end of the 4th quarter of 2024 to conclude their registration or risk severe sanctions.
Executive Secretary/CEO of the Council, Barr. Pius Akutah, who gave the warning at a one-day stakeholders’ sensitisation forum organised by the Council in Lagos, tagged “Regulated Port Service Provider and Users”. lamented that the compliance level in terms of registration by the port operators and service providers was low and discouraging since 2023 when the exercise was initiated.
Akutah, who was represented by Director Consumer Affairs, Chief Cajetan Agu, emphasised the significance of the programme for stakeholders,
said that the sensitisation programme was the second edition after its commencement during the last quarter of 2023.
He said the registered port operators consist of agencies, terminal operators, shipping companies, individual port users as well as service providers.
“We invited the ports stakeholders for enlightening them on the processes for online registration of Regulated Port Service Provider and Users.
“We have demonstrated to them how to register and how to make payment and we were able to present before them the various categories of the registration.
He disclosed that plans are underway to blacklist and deregister erring operators from operating at the nation’s seaports, adding that the exercise was in line with the relevant laws of the land.
Available statistics show that only 185 port services providers and users comprising freight forwarders, shippers (importers and exporters), barge operators, terminal operators, stevedoring companies, jetty operators, among several others have registered with the Council so far.
A shipper pays N30,000, terminal operators and shipping companies pays N300,000, truckers also pay N30,000 while some pay N50,000 as well as N100,000.
“The council was able to intimate them on the benefits, because port users benefit more as we help to interface for reducing port charges from time to time,” Akutah said.
He said that there was a need to continue to work with port operators to stop delays and also eliminate high costs to make the port efficient.
The Deputy Director, Stakeholders, Service, NSC, Mr Celestine Akujobi, said the sensitisation exercise was important for the council to enable us bring all the port stakeholders together.
According to him, this is to avoid challenges during the implementation of the council responsibilities.
“By the time we introduce sanctions on defaulters, no operators will complain that he or she is not aware of the registration.
“The final implementation will commence as soon as we discover that all the operators have keyed into the portal.
“We are engaging other ports across the country and we hopeful that before the last quater of 2024, the council will implement sanctions on the defaulting operators,” Akujobi said.
The Vice Chairman, National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwards (NAGAFF), Dr Ifeanyi Emoh, said that port challenges were enormous, adding that they originated from some of the government agencies.
Emoh urged the council to look into regulating other government agencies, so that they could be for a window where they collected port challenges collectively.
The Chairman, Board of Trustee (BOT), NEXUS Association of Maritime Truckers Operators (NAMTOP), Mr Raheem Morufu, said he had registered since November 2023, but found it difficult to register on the NSC portal.
He commended the Council for their intervention when the shipping companies overcharged him, he was able to be refunded N20 million after they intervened,”
Meanwhile, Assistant Director, ICT, Mr. Benjamin Ivwighreghweta, who enlightened the operators on the online registration, called on the stakeholders to take the opportunity and register their businesses, stressing that there are benefits attached to early registration.
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