The Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), has said that it is fully prepared to execute the International Cargo Tracking Note (ICTN) efficiently by ensuring that it benefits Shippers’, the government and the entire economy.
Speaking at a stakeholders’ meeting on the implementation of the ICTN, the Executive Secretary of the Council, Dr Pius Akutah, emphasized that the ICTN is not a new initiative to the NSC, as the Council had successfully managed it in the past before it was suspended.
Akutah who was represented by the director of Consumer Affairs, Celestine Akujobi, reaffirmed that the reintroduction of ICTN to the ports will mark a pivotal moment for the sector.
“The ICTN is a trade facilitation tool, not just a revenue-generating initiative. The Shippers’ Council is committed to implementing it in a way that enhances efficiency, reduces costs, and strengthens national security.
The system is not a duplication of the Nigeria Customs Service’s (NCS) role—rather, it complements existing frameworks, as evidenced by previous collaborations between the NSC, Customs, and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).”
Akutah further dismissed concerns about cost implications, assuring stakeholders that any associated costs would be minimal and absorbed within the trading system.
The primary objective, he noted, is to enhance cargo monitoring and eliminate leakages in revenue and security.
He said, “The ICTN is not new to the Nigerian Shippers Council; it has been operated before, but it was suspended, and we are aware of that. The most important thing is that we are moving forward; the ICTN started years ago; it was a UNCTAD advisory that the Shippers Council of every country should monitor the movement of cargo from the port of origin to the destination.
“The UNCTAD advisory was to all developing countries following the demise of the liner conferences.
“In the same vein, the Union of African Shippers Council met and discussed how to implement cargo tracking as early as 2006, sister countries started the implementation of Cargo Tracking, and Others started in 2011.
“Today, there are over 20 countries both in West and Central African sub-regions implementing ICTN. Nigeria has tried it in the past, and it was successful; I can attest to that. During that time, I was an officer in charge of ICTN as an Assistant Director. Indeed, it was later suspended, but I don’t think that the situation back then is the same as today. This is why this time around, we are determined to get it right.”
“For us at the Shippers Council, we are ready to Go ahead with it, we believe that any new innovation that is introduced, some people will say yes to it, while some would say No, but it is for us to look at all the positions dispassionately and how it would be of benefit to both the operators, the government and the generality of Nigerians.
“It would not be a duplication of the role of the customs, this is because the first implementation that was done was in collaboration with customs and the Central Bank of Nigeria, if it was going to be a duplication, customs would have complained against it then, they were topmost of the implantation committee at that time.
“The federal government is not working against the interest of its citizens. If ICTN is not a trade facilitation tool, the government would not come up with it.
“On the fears that ICTN would add to the cost of doing business at the port, it would be at a minimal cost such that it would be absorbed, the ICTN is not expressly to generate revenue”
Also speaking, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), said the ICTN is an indispensable tool for national security.
According to the Assistant Comptroller General of Customs, ACG Charles Orbih, he cited numerous seizures of illicit arms and drugs at Nigerian ports and highlighted how ICTN would provide critical intelligence to intercept contraband before it enters the country.
“We must rise to the clarion call of protecting our borders. Forget the cost implications—security comes first. The ICTN will allow us to track cargo digitally and scientifically, ensuring that threats are neutralized before they pose harm,” he asserted.
Orbih also confirmed that Customs is ready to collaborate with the Nigerian Shippers’ Council on the implementation, acknowledging that the system will streamline operations and reduce clearance delays.
“For the Nigeria Customs Service, security is paramount. Our information flow is based on tracking, and the tracking system that is being introduced by the Federal Government through ICTN is to enhance national security.
“You can imagine if there was no information, the 840 arms and ammunition that we handed over to the management of small and medium arms unit recently in Port Harcourt, what would have happened to us in this country.
“Last week, we handed over 440 weapons to them again, and about 1,600 are waiting to be handed over at the Federal Operations unit. All this information, we must develop its efficiency for the good of our country.
“The drug war is a massive one, and we must use all the systems being introduced by the Federal Government.
“There is no week at every one of our customs commands that we don’t hand over illicit drugs, whether at seaport or airport. We must all rise up to this clarion call.
Dr Eugene Nweke, Head of Research at Sea Empowerment and Research Center (SEREC), Dr Eugene Nweke, pointed out that Nigeria cannot afford to lag behind in global trade facilitation.
“America has adopted advanced cargo tracking, and many African nations have implemented ICTN. Nigeria must follow suit to enhance revenue collection, trade efficiency, and security. The NSC must be empowered to oversee this process to ensure effective monitoring and compliance,” he stated.
Continuing, he said, “The only way for us to ensure checks and balances in our maritime sector is for us to introduce the ICTN and bring good consultants that would administer it for us to achieve reasonable compliance.
For the customs, whether you are compliant or not, they have their way of generating revenue, but it shouldn’t be like that. For safety and security, the ICTN is necessary, it is a trade liberalisation tool.
“For us at SEREC, we believe that ICTN would bring reasonable compliance and checkmate activities of vessels.
Shippers across Africa, after the suspension of liner conferences, the first country to set up this ICTN was Gabon, followed by Burkina Faso, and others have also adopted it.
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