Shippers’ Council Saves Nigerian Government ₦31 Billion in 6 Months Through Automation
The Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) has announced that it saved the Federal Government of Nigeria over ₦31 billion within six months—January to June 2024—through the automation of port processes and improved regulatory oversight.
Speaking at the 2025 Sectoral Retreat of the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, Dr. Pius Akutah, Executive Secretary/CEO of the NSC, revealed that the automation of demurrage handling, freight rate checks, and charter party verification helped eliminate revenue leakages and inefficiencies across Nigeria’s maritime logistics sector.
Other notable achievements presented by the Council include:
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Commissioning of the Funtua Inland Dry Port
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Top performance in the 2024 ICPC Ethics and Integrity Scorecard
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Launch of online registration portals for port users and service providers
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Ongoing development of the Trade and Transport Data Bank
Dr. Akutah called for urgent passage of the Nigerian Port Regulatory Agency Bill and emphasized the need for consistent statutory funding to strengthen maritime governance and infrastructure development.
Declaring the retreat open, the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, CON, reaffirmed the sector’s priority in Nigeria’s national economic development agenda. He highlighted sectoral achievements such as:
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Port infrastructure modernization
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Improved port efficiency
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Progress on the National Single Window system
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Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund disbursement
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Approval of the National Marine and Blue Economy Policy
The Minister stressed the importance of inter-agency collaboration, digital transformation, environmental responsibility, and accountability through Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), which are now central to performance agreements signed by agency leaders.
This development marks a significant step in repositioning Nigeria’s marine economy for efficiency, transparency, and sustainable growth.
