The Executive Secretary, Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC), Pius Akutah, on Wednesday described the agency’s 1978 Act as obsolete.
According to Akutah, the proposed amendment will align the agency with modern trend and development.
Speaking at the Council headquarters when the Nigerian Maritime Law Association (NMLA) paid the Council a courtesy visit, Akutah explained that the Council saved Nigeria N6billion from the application of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) solutions to shipping issues.
Akutah said, “Today, we have the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, which is dedicated to the maritime sector.
“This is, in effect, the first step that has been taken by Mr. President in recent time to diversify the economy of Nigeria from the oil dependency to the non-oil sectors of the economy, as you are aware.
“With this kind of approach, it is important for us to collaborate with very critical stakeholders like yours to be able to move not only the ministry forward, but also to promote the development of the maritime sector and the blue economy in Nigeria.
“I know that the Nigerian Shippers Council, which you know has a mandate to take care of the interests of shippers over the years, is operating under a 1978 law which set it up.
“You will agree with me that by 2024, we should all know that the law is obsolete and it’s not going to adequately provide for what the sector stands for at the moment.
“So there is a need for us to look into that law and see what we can do to change the law and empower the agency to do more of what is required of it in this 21st century.
“Now, the Nigerian Shippers Council has a Bill before the National Assembly seeking to transmute into a regulatory agency by law.
“You are also aware that the agency at the moment is empowered by a presidential directive and a regulation for it to assume the duties of the Port Economic Regulator, which the agency has been carrying out.
“But the nitty gritty of what the Port Economic Regulator would do is not provided in that presidential order and the guidelines. So there is a need for us to have a legislation.
“We have that legislation. It’s ongoing for some time now.
“Luckily for us, the National Assembly, the House of Reps has passed it. It’s before the Senate now.
“So many areas of collaboration with the Nigerian Maritime Law Association will be very necessary and needed as soon as that law is passed into law and assented to by Mr. President.
“Like you said, we have an internal mechanism for alternative dispute resolution, which, in effect, will look at the quantum of investments that is done in this sector.
“And for us to allow litigation to clamp down on investments, it will not all go well with the sector and ultimately with the economy.
“You can imagine when a ship is grounded for two months, you know what kind of damage it will cause to the economy.
“So we’re looking at better ways of resolving maritime dispute through the ADR initiative.
“So we are open for further training and capacity building of our in-house men to engage properly in ADR procedures.
“This year alone, with the use of ADR on our compliance unit, we have saved this country over six billion naira.
“And we believe that with adequate training, capacity building, we may even do much more than that in the coming years.”Speaking earlier, President of the Nigerian Maritime Law Association (NMLA), Funke Agbor acknowledged the NSC for the tremendous support the association has received over the years.
