Shippers’ Council Remains Committed For ICTN Implementation – Akutah

 

The Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC)has reaffirmed commitment for the implementation of the International Cargo Tracking Note (ICTN) implementation.

Chief Executive Officer/Executive Secretary Pius Akutah stated this recently during a meeting with journalists in Lagos

Akutah who was represented at the meeting by Celestine Akujobi, Director of Consumer Affairs, emphasized that the ICTN is not a new initiative to the NSC, saying that the Council has successfully managed it in the past before it was suspended.

He reaffirmed that this time, the agency is fully prepared to execute the system efficiently, ensuring it benefits shippers, the government, and the entire economy.

“The ICTN is a trade facilitation tool, not just a revenue-generating initiative. The Shippers’ Council is committed to implementing it in a way that enhances efficiency, reduces costs, and strengthens national security. The system is not a duplication of the Nigeria Customs Service’s (NCS) role—rather, it complements existing frameworks, as evidenced by previous collaborations between the NSC, Customs, and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).”

The Council’s boss further dismissed concerns about cost implications, assuring stakeholders that any associated costs would be minimal and absorbed within the trade system.

The primary objective, he noted, is to enhance cargo monitoring and eliminate leakages in revenue and security.

Speaking, he said “The ICTN is not new to the Nigerian Shippers Council, it has been operated before but it was suspended, we are aware of that.

“The most important thing is that we are moving forward, the ICTN started years ago, it was an UNCTAD advisory that Shippers Council of every country should monitor the movement of cargoes from port of origin to destination.

“The UNCTAD advisory was to all developing countries following the demise of the liner conferences.

“In the same vein, the Union of African Shippers Council met and discussed on how to implement the cargo tracking, as early as 2006, sister countries have started the implementation of the Cargo Tracking, Others started 2011.

“Today, there are over 20 countries both in West and Central African subregions implementing ICTN.

“Nigeria has tried it in the past and it was successful, I can attest to that. During that time, i was officer in charge of ICTN as an Assistant Director then, it is true that it was later suspended, but I don’t think that the situation back then is the same today. This is why this Time around, we are determined to get it right.

“For us at the Shippers Council, we are ready to Go ahead with it, we believe that any new innovation that is introduced, some people will say yes to it, while some would say No, but it is for us to look at all the positions dispassionately and how it would be of benefit to both the operators, the government and the generality of Nigerians.

“It would not be a duplication to the role of the customs, this is because the first implementation that was done was in collaboration with customs and Central Bank of Nigeria, if it was going to be a duplication, customs would have complained against it then, they were topmost of the implantation committee at that time.

“The federal government is not working againt the interest of its citizens. If ICTN is not a trade facilitation tool, the government would not come up with it.

“On the fears that ICTN would add to cost of doing business at the port, it would be at a minimal cost such that it would be absorbed, the ICTN is not expressly to generate revenue”.