The Nigerian Shippers Council’s (NSC), failure to effectively regulate shipping companies operating in the country has been pointed out as one of the major reasons for persisting gridlock on Apapa Ports roads.
Speaking on Thursday in Lagos at the Maritime Journalists Association of Nigeria, (MAJAN) first quarter review of the Maritime sector, a notable Freight Forwarder and Chief Executive Officer of Bontex Nigeria Limited, Mr Boniface Okoye said Nigerian Shippers Council is failing in it’s responsibility of calling shipping companies to order in their so many infractions.
Okoye said regulatory Failures over the years have created the problem of gridlocks on Apapa ports corridor as shipping companies do not take the empty containers back to the countries of origin because importers are forced to forfeit huge deposits on the containers.
He tasked the Nigerian Shippers Council to do its job of forcing the shipping companies to accept empty containers and move them back to their places of origin as ships come in with hundreds of filled containers, but go back empty.
NewsBusiness Nigeria gathered that cargo owners are expected to pay close to N200,000 and above to shipping companies as Container Deposit Fund, before they are allowed to take their goods out of the port.
Speaking Further the Freight Forwarder alleged that some officials of Shippers Council are part of the ‘cabal’ frustrating the efforts of the federal government in creating enabling friendly business environment at the ports.
He said Shippers Council should join hands with the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA to mandate shipping companies to establish holding bay for the empty containers, where shipping companies would now be responsible for taking the containers back to the ports for export in an organised manner.
Okoye said the Apapa ports roads traffic crisis will continue until Shippers Council rise to it’s responsibility as the economic regulator at the Sea Ports and confront the ‘cabal’ headlong.
Also speaking at the MAJAN event, President of Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Hon Tony Nwabunike said with all the charges freight forwarders are meant to pay, they have not gotten a fair deal due to inadequate infrastructure at the ports.
He said: ” if we’ll managed with required infrastructure, the Maritime sector can become the economic mainstay of the country”.
Hon. Nwabunike advocated a constant government and stakeholders dialogue where issues are holistically dissected and resolved in the interest of the Maritime sector and nation’s economy at large.
” I want a proper planning in the Maritime sector by the Government and also wants operators to act with integrity at all times. Operators especially freight forwarders should not cut corners. And mind you it is only when we as agents/ freight forwarders put our acts together that we would be respected”, he said.
The ANLCA president commended MAJAN for their contribution in the development of the country’s Maritime sector, adding that events such as this has a way of shapping both government, regulators and operators conduct.
Managing Director and CEO of NURWAGS International Services Limited, Mr Nura Wagani, speaking said there need for adquate safety equipment to be put in place to respond to distress calls.
According to him barge operation has been an early means of transporting goods, but that the current trend of barging started when in 2018, the former managing director of the Nigeria Ports Authority flagged off the barging operation from the Ikorodu Lighter Terminal. He noted that the operation has had its ups and downs as he said that most of the barges used were those used as local content materials in the oil communities in the Niger Delta area.
He lamenting the multiple taxation by the authorities which he said have negatively affects their operations.
He raised the issue channels that have been impeded with a lot of wreckages and wastes that have been dumped inside water which needed to be cleared through dredging.
Wagani advocated for the setting up of the Maritime bank to cater for the needs of the industry, asking that the government should come to their aid to sustain jobs in that subsector.
Director-General of the Sea Empowerment And Research Centre, Mr. Francis Ude Aniezechukwu who spoke on Blue Economy said Nigeria stands to gain a lot should decide to susport and develope it.
He said records, show the United States of America made an estimated $373 billion from its Marine economy in 2018 and that the sub-sector grows faster than the general economy as a whole.
He also informed that the European Union report of 2018 shows that the marine economy is a driver of growth, jobs and innovation and had a turn over of over €565 billion plus the €174 billion worth of value added and also providing jobs for 3 million people.
He said for the country to benefit from the Blue Economy, it must among others develop and researches in the area.
He decried lack of data in the Maritime sector and sectors of the nation’s economy.
