Shippers’ Council Launches Online Portal For Port Users

As part of efforts to establish and maintain data of port stakeholders in the country, Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), has launched an online portal for the registration of all categories of regulated port users and operators.

The registration provides the nation’s port economic regulator a database of service providers that are genuine as well as shippers and other stakeholders operating in the Nigerian port system.

Speaking at the unveiling ceremony, the executive secretary of NSC, Emmanuel Jime, stated that the event marks a milestone as the Council upgrades from manual registration to a fully automated registration platform.

“The platform we are launching is interactive in nature as the physical interface is eliminated. From your desk in your office, you can register your company online without having to visit any Shippers’ Council office as long as you fulfill the requirements and make the necessary payments.”

“The registration exercise is in various categories and attracts a token fee as the motive is not to generate revenue. It is mandatory for all service providers and users to register and obtain a certificate of registration before they can be adjudged as legally operating at the nation’s seaports. It is therefore important to register with the NSC to avoid applicable sanctions,” the NSC boss said.

Jime added that the new platform guaranteed a safe and secured business environment even as it eliminates the challenges of faceless stakeholders in the port system.

Speaking earlier, the director of Consumer Affairs, NSC, Chief Cajetan Agu, observed that one of the responsibilities placed on NSC when it became the nation’s port economic regulator in 2014 was the obligation to register all port operators and port users.

“NSC offers a lot of services around training, education and capacity building programmes. The only people who will benefit from these services will be those who are registered with NSC,” Agu remarked.

Chief Agu equally described the online registration as an Know-Your-Customer (KYC) function of the Council, stressing that the era of faceless shippers, untraceable freight forwarders and other hidden service providers have ended.

He also posited that the Complaints Unit of NSC which attends to stakeholders’ challenges in port business and arbitration services by the Council will, henceforth, only be available to operators and port users registered with the Council.

Speaking on the sidelines of the event, the director general, Nigerian Chamber of Shipping (NCS), Vivian Chimezie-Azubuike, encouraged the NSC to do more enlightenment campaigns on the initiative which she labeled a win for the nation’s maritime sector.

“Not everyone with regards to the industry stakeholders were represented at the event. It’s possible that more groups, companies and individuals were reached but only those present honoured the invitation. Nonetheless, we can’t exhaust the list of port users and operators.”

“At the Chamber of Shipping, we will also request for some copies of the User Guide and present them to our members at our meetings and other national or international platforms. The Shippers’ Council should do more enlightenment on this,” she said.