INTERVIEW: Shippers Council is Targeting Three Streams of Income in 2025, as Regulatory Bill Awaits Presidential Assent

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Akutah Pius Ukeyima, Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Shippers Council

By DAPO OLAWUNI

The Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Shippers Council, Mr Akutah Pius Ukeyima has revealed that the Nigerian Shipping and Port Economic Regulatory Agency Bill has been passed by both the House of Representatives and the Senate and that it is currently awaiting Presidential assent.
Speaking on the sidedlines of the 2025-2029 strategic management retreat of the Council held at De Signature Hotel in Ibadan on Tuesday, Akutah also revealed that the Council has set its eyes on three major streams of income for the year 2025
The retreat, themed “The Future – Transition from Nigerian Shippers’ Council to Nigeria Port Economic Regulatory Agency (NPERA),” marked the launch of a strategic plan for 2025–2029 aimed at advancing the maritime sector.

Enjoy the excerpts…

Congratulations on your retreat this year, can you please explain to us how you intend to implement the 1% freight stabilisation fee this year?

The Nigerian Shippers Council Act, CAP N133, laws of the Federation 2004, which is the 1978 law that established the Nigerian Shippers Council, made provision for the implementation of the 1% freight fee as a source of funding for the Nigerian Shippers Council.
Over the years, that has not been implemented, and that is why the Nigerian Shippers Council has been grappling around looking for how to be able to fund its activities.
But we looked at it, and we have the view that you cannot pick and choose what portion of the law to implement and which not to. Since it is a provision of the law that is subsisting in Nigeria as of today, we have decided that this provision of the law should also be implemented.
Besides that, the idea or the arguments that have been conversed before, that when you implement that 1% freight fee, it will amount to additional cost of doing business in the sector, is not actually the case, because we have done an analysis of the cost benefit of implementing the 1%, and the benefit far outweigh the cost that it brings into the sector.
So, we know that since it is a provision of the law, we have no choice but to implement it.
So, in this 2025 budget, we have that as a stream of income for the Council, so that the Council can be better positioned, especially even when it becomes the Nigerian Economic Regulatory Agency.
We are looking at having strong regulations that will impact on the economic policies of the President to drive trade facilitation in this sector and grow the economy from this sector, as it has been the case as we witnessed in 2024.
The new law that is coming on board, we know that it is going to effectively chart a new course for the sector and promote efficiency that we have all been yearning for.

Representative of the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Hajia Kalthum Ibrahim, the Director Planning Research and Statistics at the Ministry and the Executive Secretary of Nigerian Shippers Council, Akutah Pius at the ongoing 2025 retreat of the Council which is billed to come to an end tomorrow in Ibadan

Where is this 1% fee coming from, who are the people expected to pay this money?

The 1% freight stabilisation fee is coming from the importers. Once you pay your freight fee to the shipping companies, that 1% is taken from there.

Senior management staff of the Shippers Council at the ongoing retreat

Can you please give us an insight into your budget for the year 2025?

Our budget is based on three streams of revenue. One of it is the normal 2% of 7% port development levy which comes to us at the end of every quarter, which is grossly inadequate to run the activities of the council. We are now projecting the International Cargo Tracking Note, which like I said earlier on, the Honourable Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, His Excellency Adegboyega Oyetola, has been pushing forward for the implementation of the International Cargo Tracking Note because every stakeholder is yearning for the implementation of the ICTN because of the economic value it will bring to the country in terms of revenue generation and also the security of cargo that comes into the country.
So, all of these factors, these reasons, necessitate all of the efforts that the Minister is doing to ensure the implementation of that International Cargo Tracking Node.
And then again, the 1% freight fee which we talked about. So, these will be three major streams of income that will come to the council in 2025 if the budget is actually approved by the National Assembly eventually.
We are looking forward to the defence that will come up sometime early next month in the National Assembly.

Sir, what is the current state of the Port Economy Regulatory Agency Bill at the National Assembly?

The current state of the Bill is that the Bill has been passed by the two chambers of the National Assembly, the House of Representatives and the Senate. So, it’s awaiting the assent of Mr President.
But at the moment, the National Assembly is cleaning it. The process of law making is not just the passage of the Bill by the chambers of the Assembly. It also has to go through a process of cleaning which is ongoing right now.

What assurances are you giving that the ICTN would be implemented this year, and how are you addressing the fears of stakeholders that it would lead to additional cost of doing business?

Nigeria is not the only country implementing the ICTN. We are actually coming behind. And like you said, there are concerns about the prolonged delay.
And these delays were caused by some contractual obligations that were created in the past which actually did not work out.
But the Honorable Minister is working with all the stakeholders, the relevant, the key stakeholders in ensuring that all the issues are put to rest and the implementation is very seamless.

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