The Federal Ministry of Transportation (FMOT) over the weekend urged the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) to include the Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC) in the Port Concession Agreement currently under review. This is even as the Transportation Ministry told stakeholders that while NPA is the technical operational regulator, the NSC is the interim economic regulator of the ports.
Speaking at a one-day sensitisation meeting organised by the FMOT and NSC themed “Promoting Competitiveness & Compliance in Nigerian Maritime Industry: Mandate of the NSC in Focus,” the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Transportation and Chairman of the Occasion, Dr Magdalene Ajani, noted that the Ministry is aware that the Shippers Council had faced resistance from relevant stakeholders in the maritime industry in the earlier stages of the implementation of the economic regulator regulation.
Dr Ajani informed that the Nigerian Shippers’ Council was appointed as the interim port economic regulator in 2014 as a government response to fill the vacuum and address the challenges facing the port system.
According to her, the major objective of the government in appointing the Nigerian Shippers’ Council as the interim port economic regulator was to create an effective regulatory regime at the port for the control of tariffs, charges and other related economic services by the virtue of economic regulatory order No 34 of 2015 issued by the President in pursuant to section 5 and 145 of the 1999 constitution as gazetted.
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While calling for the support and cooperation of all stakeholders, Ajani said the ministry is working on stakeholders’ concerns and implementation of some of the suggestions they have made in the past in order to bring out the best options in collaborating actively with further agencies outside the Federal Ministry of Transportation.
“It is noteworthy that prior to the appointment of the Council as an interim port economic regulator, there was no known authority saddled with the responsibility of checkmating the commercial activities at the port. I also want us to note that while NSC is the port economic regulator, the Nigerian Ports Authority remains the technical operational regulator.
This is very key so that we understand the distinct role between the two agencies and stakeholders give their support and cooperation to them.
“Having realised that these two agencies are working within the mandate of the Law of Nigeria, we, therefore, advised all those in court to have a rethink for us to enable a good progression in the marine ecosystem and deliver the Nigerian economy of our dream.
“Consequently, the Shippers Council’s port economic regulatory mandate and roles should be reflected in the Port Concession agreement under review and other subsequent agreements.
“In line with the sub-existing order, on the port economic regulation, as issued by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, I hereby reaffirm that the NSC remains the interim Port economic regulator in our nation’s ports pending the establishment and operationalisation of the National Transport Commission as an independent regulatory authority in the transport sector,” Ajani noted.
On his part, the Managing Director of the NPA, Mr Mohammed Bello-Koko, said the NSC has come into a tight-packed sector of government which is the maritime industry adding that all stakeholders need to adjust and accommodate its regulations which are already backed up by Law.
The MD of NPA, who was represented by the NPA Legal Secretary, Mr IG Umar, charged the Council to make more efforts in extending the competitiveness of Nigerian port operations to the world. He also thanked the Federal Ministry of Transport for their immense support for the growth and empowerment of the NSC.
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