In the wake of the novel Coronavirus pandemic, Nigerian Shippers’ Council has come out to say it will not stall operations at the nation’s ports in a bid to preserve the nation’s economy. The NSC’s Executive Secretary, Hassan Bello, who made this known while delivering a speech at a meeting with some stakeholders in the industry in Lagos, hinted that should the current lockdown order persist, the Council has planned some measures to keep shipping activities going at the nation’s ports.
“Considering the impact of port activities on the economy, it is important that the correct state of affairs be communicated to all stakeholders in order not to exacerbate a situation which has the potential to affect the lives and livelihoods of Nigerians”, the Executive Secretary said. He said as the port economic regulator and trade facilitator had taken steps to ensure that cargo flow continues undisrupted.
“As you know, even in the hardest-hit countries, port operations have continued without let or hindrance. In an interdependent world, goods continue to move around and the manufacturing of goods cannot be halted otherwise economies would be in bigger trouble than they are set to be as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many essential commodities, particularly drugs, medical equipment and consumables need to be imported by many countries including Nigeria”, he said.
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he buttressed that it was in view of this that the Council stepped up its engagement with port operators by providing transportation daily for freight forwarders during the period of the lockdown.
According to him, the council has also intervened on behalf of freight forwarders with banks to extend their services to port operators in order to allow them to pay fees to various agencies to facilitate the clearance of cargoes from ports. “We cannot afford to have our terminals clogged up with more uncleared cargoes. We are happy to note that a number of banks have been cooperating as their branches in Apapa to ease transactions for freight forwarders”, he said. Bello particularly commended Zenith, UBA, FCMB and GTBank which have all opened their branches at the ports, adding that other stakeholders have been cooperative in a bid to ensure that activities in the maritime sector suffer minimal disruption. He also disclosed that the NSC had made some modest contribution in cash and protective materials towards the fight against COVID-19. “However, its most important contribution is in ensuring that it does not drop the ball in terms of its responsibility as Port Economic Regulator in these very fluid and difficult times. This is why we continue to engage with stakeholders to ensure that the ports run as smoothly as possible under the circumstances”, he said.
