Minister directs Shippers’ Council to develop Port Community System

Lagos — The Minister of Transportation, Mu’azu Jaji Sambo, has charged the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, NSC, with the responsibility of establishing a Port Community System, PCS, which, he said, must become functional before the end of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration in May, this year.

Speaking when he visited the NSC headquarters in Lagos, Sambo said Nigeria needed a Port Community System that could compete favourably with its counterparts elsewhere.

The Minister cited the Republic of Benin as a good example of a country with a working Port Community System.

“You are the regulator of the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, and other agencies that have anything to do with the port.

“The responsibility is on you to ensure we have a port community system. I think it is because we have not placed the responsibility on somebody, that is why we have not been able to achieve the PCS.

“Next week, I will call you

Land other agencies and roll out the issue. We must have a PCS working for us in Nigeria before the administration comes to a close,” he said.

He urged the NSC to study how the Port Community System in other countries and replicate same in Nigeria.

“This is a question of direct procurement. We’re not going to circumvent the law of the land. The Public Procurement Act gives us the opportunity to do direct procurement. You need to coordinate as I have

Mu’azu Jaji Sambo given you the role today,” he said.

Speaking earlier, the Executive Secretary/CEO of Nigerian Shippers’ Council, Emmanuel Jime, commended the minister for obtaining approval for the council to implement the Cargo Tracking Note, CTN, and the observable success of eeds, England -- The Nigerian Navy has handed over a tanker vessel MT Sea Eunice, which was arrested on August 11, 2022, to the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety

the inland dry port projects being championed by the NSC. “I told you that we needed to complete the process of the development of the inland dry port infrastructure put in place, as well as an update on other key transport infrastructure being promoted by the NSC.”