LAGOS, JULY 1, 2016 – The Executive Secretary, Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), Mr Hassan Bello, on Friday said that the council would partner with the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) and Nigerian Export-Import Bank (NEXIM) on exportation.
Bello stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos. According to him, the Nigerian Export Promotion Council is addressing some of the issues affecting exportation.
He said that the discussions had been yielding fruitful results.
The executive secretary said that to encourage exportation as a source of diversification of the economy, the issue of finance or access to credit by exporters had been discussed.
Bello said that, “This is due to the nation’s large potential for exports.’’
“We must have adequate infrastructure to move the exportable commodities to the ports.
“We must have the linkages, weighbridges and consolidation centres, so that the products are processed and transported effortlessly to the seaports,’’ he added
He said both the terminal operators and shipping companies had improved in service delivery.
Bello urged both parties (the terminal operators and the shipping companies) to improve on their collaboration for Nigeria to have more cargoes.
The executive secretary said that the throughput of cargoes depended on the efficiency of the ports.
“What the NSC is saying is that our ports must be efficient.
“Therefore, all agencies operating in the ports including the Nigeria Customs Service, Plant Quarantine and other agencies must up their game.
“Electronic interface should be encouraged in our ports, while appropriate technology must be embraced by all the agencies and institutions operating in the ports.
“If all these are put in place, there will be transparency, efficiency and competiveness,’’ he said.
He said that although there had been improvement in the ports systems, NSC was working toward creating a balance between the port users and the terminal operators.
Bello, however, emphasised the need for choice by the port users, adding that the more the competition, the more efficient terminal operations would be, to attract more customers.
