Akutah Urges Shippers Council Board to Prioritise Cargo Tracking Note, NPERA Bill, 1% Stabilisation Fee
Dr. Ibrahim Shema, Chairman of Nigerian Shippers Council Board (right) and the Executive Secretary of the council, Barr Pius Akutah Ukeyima when the Board visited the agency
By DAPO OLAWUNI
The Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), Dr. Pius Akutah, has identified three critical priorities requiring urgent attention from the newly inaugurated Governing Board to strengthen the Council’s regulatory capacity and financial sustainability.
Speaking in Lagos at the inaugural meeting of the board on Thursday, Dr. Akutah emphasized the need for the board’s guidance on the actualization of the Nigeria Port Economic Regulatory Agency (NPERA) Bill, the implementation of the International Cargo Tracking Note (ICTN), and the operationalization of the one per cent Freight Stabilisation Fee.
“These initiatives are critical to strengthening regulatory clarity, improving cargo visibility, enhancing national security, and securing sustainable revenue for the Council,” Akutah said.
The NSC Executive Secretary stressed that actualizing the NPERA Bill would provide the regulatory clarity needed to reposition the Council as a stronger regulator in the maritime sector.
He noted that the implementation of the International Cargo Tracking Note would improve cargo visibility and enhance national security, while the operationalization of the one per cent Freight Stabilisation Fee would secure sustainable revenue for the Council.
Dr. Akutah expressed confidence that with the board’s guidance, these initiatives would be pursued in a lawful, transparent, and stakeholder-responsive manner.
“Management is fully committed to supporting the Board with robust data, sound financial analysis and structured stakeholder engagement to ensure that all initiatives are pursued in a lawful, transparent and stakeholder-responsive manner,” he said.
The Executive Secretary highlighted the opportunity to reposition the NSC as a financially resilient and institutionally stronger regulator, noting that while the task before the Council is significant, there is major potential for transformation.
He assured that management would collaborate effectively with the board to deliver tangible institutional and financial outcomes for the NSC.
“With the guidance of this Board, I am confident that we will continue to protect shippers’ interests, promote efficient port operations and contribute meaningfully to national economic growth,” Dr. Akutah added.
The ES/CEO described the inaugural meeting as a landmark in the history of the Council and expressed optimism that with the quality of the board formation, it will assist in achieving the Council’s targets.
Meanwhile, the Board Chairman, Dr. Ibrahim Shema, pledged the board’s support for management in helping the Federal Government achieve an economic growth target of at least seven per cent by 2027–2028.
Dr. Shema, a former Governor of Katsina State, said the board would work closely with management to actualize President Bola Tinubu’s target of growing Nigeria’s economy to a one-trillion-dollar GDP by 2030.
“The Shippers’ Council and the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy are determined to support the President’s vision of a one-trillion-dollar economy and seven per cent growth. The Council, the Board and management are hereby called to service. We have a lot of work ahead of us,” he said.
The board chairman stressed that all hands must be on deck for Nigeria to fully harness the potential of the blue economy sector, noting that the Council will focus on key initiatives critical to promoting the maritime sector’s economic potential.
