By EKPO ERIC
The Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), Barr. Pius Akutah has reiterated the Federal Government’s commitment to growing the economy from the current 500 billion dollars economy, to a one trillion dollars economy by 2027.
This 200 per cent growth which represents the one trillion dollar economy is said to be largely dependent on the marine and blue economy sector. Recall that the Federal Government had last year said it would double the economy by 200 per cent growth.
He stated this on Thursday last week during a tour of the terminals in Tin Can Island Port, Apapa, Lagos, during which he led his management team to the Tin Can Island Container Terminal(TICT)Limited.
NSC boss paid special visit to top guns in the port business, most notably
Receiving the NSC boss and his management team, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, TICT Limited, Mr. Etienne Rocher, acknowledged the cordial relationship that has existed between the two bodies, while highlighting some difficulties faced in the port and some possible solutions.
He stated that modernization of the Lagos port should be a priority to government which in turn would attract more shipping lines for business. In his words “Another disturbing aspect is the aspect of processes and we would like to see high reliance on digitization especially from the customs view point”
He added that another disturbing issue in the port is the plethora of check points or road blocks in and around Tin Can Island as there were about 16 of them as at 2017 mapping.
In his response, the NSC boss disclosed that the Tinubu led administration through the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy is developing a policy plan that would l enthrone port efficiency.
In his words, “Mr president in his renewed hope agenda for the country is looking at moving from half a trillion dollars economy to a trillion dollars economy at the end of four years and the Marine and Blue Economy Ministry is one of the pivotal ministries that will drive this economy to that extent and what the president is trying to do, is to rebuild that sector from the marine aspect and then bring in the blue economy into it. The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, is already looking at developing a holistic blue print, a new policy document that captures all those infrastructural deficits, decay and then the automation of the system in the port management and at the end of the day, all the problem would have been tackled holistically”
Akutah also asserted that they are not looking at government’s effort alone but they also want to collaborate with the private sector, so by this, they will try to provide an enabling environment for the private sector to invest heavily in the sector to bring the dreams of the president to reality.
