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In a bid to enhance the performance and competitiveness of the nation’s seaports, Nigerian Chamber of Shipping (NCS) and Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) have strengthened collaboration as they eye regional hub ports for the country.
Both organisations made this commitment when the NCS, led by its President, Mr. Aminu Umar, paid a courtesy visit to the NPA headquarters in Lagos on Monday.
Speaking at the meeting, Mr. Umar, assured that the Chamber would collaborate with the NPA in showcasing the potentials of the nation’s seaports to the world.
“We want the NPA to consider the Nigerian Chamber of Shipping and the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) as your go-to partners in advocacy and creating industry awareness.
“The NCS is also a key partner in making NPA achieve her goals which include making Nigeria attain shipping hub in West and Central Africa,” Umar posited.
Umar, who is also first African member of the ICS board, thanked the NPA boss for his support in the activities of the Chamber, even as he expressed gratitude for the insightful revelation on the activities, challenges and prospects of the Authority which the NPA boss highlighted at NCS breakfast meeting last week.
On his part, the Managing Director of NPA, Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, described the shipping industry as one that could leave a lifetime impact on organisations and individuals who take the sector seriously.
While appreciating the NCS for their partnership and commending the recently concluded summit organized by NCS and the Lekki Port, he stressed the importance and value of shipping which accounts for 80 percent of world trade.
“Our relationship with the NCS is not something that we can afford to play with. We are a family and NPA treats ships as queens and cargoes as kings. This means that we have to treat the stakeholders responsible for ships and cargoes with respect,” Dantsoho said.
Noting that the volume of cargo that comes to the nation through containerised goods is about $1.5trillion every year, he observed an opportunity for investment in containers since they were designed to last only 20 years.
“I tell my colleagues who are privileged to be appointed as executives into NPA not to take it as a temporary appointment but see it as an opportunity to come into a lucrative and rewarding industry,” the NPA boss said.
The NCS delegation also included; the Vice President, Ify Akerele; NCS Governing Council members; Mrs. Jean Chiazor Anishere (SAN) and Sir Temisan Omatseye; Director General, Mrs. Vivian Chimezie-Azubuike; the Chairman of Nigerian Ports Consultative Council (NPCC), Mr. Bolaji Sunmola; and an NCS consultant, Mr. Nnamdi Eronini.
