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The Federal Government, through the Nigeria Shippers Council, has stated that it will mandate port service providers and users to register on the council’s online portal by the third quarter of 2024.
The Executive Secretary of the NSC, Pius Akutah, disclosed this on Wednesday during a sensitisation programme for stakeholders on the registration of regulated port service providers and users at the council’s headquarters in Lagos.
He reiterated the importance of adherence to the online registration requirements by all service providers in the port, adding that it was in line with the duty of the council as enshrined in Section 4 of the NCS’s Regulation of 2015.
Akutah, who was represented at the event by the Director of Consumer Affairs of the NSC, Cajetan Agu, noted that the registration was geared towards “having a database of genuine port service providers and users as well as Knowing Your Customers policy.
The NSC boss highlighted the evolution of payment processes from manual to automated systems within the council and underscored the benefits of registration.
He emphasised the mandatory nature of registration, warning that non-compliant entities would face stern consequences.
The Assistant Director, of Consumer Affairs of the NSC, Celestine Akujobi, added that the sanctions awaiting defaulters “include withdrawal of NSC services and restrictions on port operations. Only 185 port service providers and users have registered so far,”
“Stakeholders must acquaint themselves with the online registration process to avoid penalties, the NSC added.
According to Akujobi, despite a notable uptake in registration among international service providers.
“The council is concerned with the lagging compliance among Nigerian counterparts. I want to urge stakeholders to swiftly register with the council to capitalise on the myriad benefits associated with NSC registration,” he noted.
In 2023, Media reported that in a bid to tackle the challenge of faceless shippers and importers, the Nigerian Shippers Council announced an online registration for terminal operators and other port service providers.
