By Roland Ekama
The Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) has threatened to withdraw services from stakeholders and other port users and service providers who fail to register with the maritime economic regulator.
The council lamented that the compliance level im terms of registration by the port operators was low and discouraging since the inception of the exercise, saying that moves are ongoing to blacklist and deregister erring practitioners from operating at the nation’s seaports .
DAILYFOCUS NIGERIA gathered that a paltry 185 port services providers and users comprising freight forwarders, shippers, barge operators, terminal operators, stevedoring companies,jetty operators etc have registered with the Nigerian Shippers Council among thousands of existing entities in the maritime sub sector of the nation’s economic.
Our correspondent also confirmed that the online portal for registration of regulated port service providers and users fee range from N30,000 to N100,000.
Speaking at a sensitization of stakeholders on registration of regulated port service providers and users put together by the Council on Wednesday in Lagos, Executive Secretary NSC, Barrister Pius Akutah Ukeyima stated that the exercise was in line with the law of the country.
Akutah who was represented by the Director, Consumers Affairs, NSC, Chief Cajetan Agu affirmed that the Council has a major role to play by registering all entities that provides or uses service at the seaports, lamenting that low participation would lead to enforcement by denying some port operators access to carry out their activities.
Highlighting some the sanctions that will be meted to non compliance stakeholders, the Executive Secretary reiterated that the enforcement will commence in the fourth quarter of 2024 adding that only 185 practitioners have registered with the economic port regulator.
According to him, “The Nigerian Shippers Council will withdraw service from defaulters, such as confirmation of demurrage, confirmation of reasonableness of freight rates, participation of NSC organized industry meetings etc.
He further threatened that the NSC will cancel registration of certificate and license of erring operators at the ports.
Primarily, Akutah warned terminal operators and shipping companies that at the commencement of its enforcement, that unregistered practitioners should not be allowed to perform any kind of business with them otherwise risk sanctioning .
“We will blacklist defaulters thereby delisting defaulting companies and publishing their names on national newspaper.”
Also speaking , Assistant Director, ICT ,NSC ,Mr. Benjamin Ivwighreghweta called on stakeholders to take the opportunity and register stressing that there benefits attached to the sensitization scheme.
While maintaining the benefits attached to the scheme, Ivwighreghweta noting that the council will provide legal service and advice on the role of the Nigerian Shippers Council.
He also enlightened the stakeholders about the process of registration.
