Shippers Council pledges to promote effectiveness of National Single Window

The Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC) has pledged full support to the National Single Window (NSW) Steering Committee to ensure the effective operations of the platform in the country’s seaports.

Pius Akutah, executive secretary of the Council, gave the assurance when the Steering Committee of the National Single Window team recently paid a working visit to the headquarters of the NSC.

While appreciating the committee, Akutah called on all relevant agencies involved in the project to embrace automation to aid their respective operational processes.

“Automation is one of the key elements we have to pursue as agencies and ensure we automate our processes as quickly as possible,” he said.

Akutah expressed optimism that the implementation of the National Single Window would be of great benefit to the Council and the port industry respectively.

Read also: WACT’s investment in port devt, automation excites Shippers’ Council

He also affirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to diversification in the non-oil sector and said that NSW is one of the structures that will help to meet the aspirations of the Marine and Blue Economy.

He said the Council is planning to go paperless to aid operational activities and that the Council is awaiting its new bill to optimally carry out its regulatory functions.

With the passage of the Council’s new bill into law, Pius said NSC will work round the clock to transform the sector into a regional maritime hub with efficiency and effective service delivery.

He reiterated the need to address inter-agency rivalry and uphold peaceful co-existence in maritime operations.

Earlier, Tola Fakolade, head of the Project Secretariat for the National Single Window Steering Committee, called on stakeholders and agencies to support the Federal government’s aspirations of having the project operation in Nigeria.

While briefing the management team of the Council about their mission, Fakolade said the NSC’s buy-in was vital in actualising the National Single Window project.

The team lead, who made a presentation on the project, also gave the benefits of the NSW project which include enhancement of government revenue, increase in foreign investment, increase in trade volumes, and improved automation processes.

President Bola Tinubu recently inaugurated the National Steering Committee to ensure the implementation of the National Single Window (NSW) in the country, which would result in the automation of the port.