The management of Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) has assigned its officers to various shipping companies and terminals to assist in ensuring that all safety and health regulations are strictly complied with.
According to NSC, the development is in view of the importance of the continuation of port operations as essential services “which was highlighted by President Muhammadu Buhari in his March 29
address to Nigeria.
Under the leadership of Hassan Bello as Executive Secretary/CEO, NSC has been engaging with all stakeholders under its purview to ensure that safety and health guidelines are strictly adhered to so as to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
A statement explained that NSC cannot overemphasise the importance of all port users, particularly freightforwarders, “conducting them‐selves responsibly and adhering to health guidelines as they go about their very essential business”.
The statement added: “In a related development, underscoring the importance of port operations, the Secretary to the Government of
the Federation (SGF), Mr. Boss Mustapha, had during the daily COVID-19 briefing in the past week, referred to his conversation with the ES/CEO of Nigerian Shippers’ Council, Mr. Hassan Bello, in which it was confirmed that some banks had agreed to open for business in the Apapa axis for a limited number of hours in order to facilitate port operations.
“The SGF explained that at the onset of the lockdown, banking
halls had been marked out as potential risk zones for Covid19.
“However, a review of that thinking became necessary when it emerged that banks had to open for people to pay custom duties and other charges“.
