By: Vanguard news

Disclosing this to newsmen in Lagos, the Executive Secretary/ CEO of the NSC, Mr Pius Akutah, said the Council was working out modalities to partner with mega shipping companies around the world to pay attention to facilities being developed by Nigeria and terminal operators in Nigeria.

He advised investors in the sector to increase their investments and tap into the enormous opportunities a in the sector.

Commenting on the Africa Continental Free Trade Aggrement, AfCFTA, Akutah stated: “We have done everything within the ambit of the law to be able to export, but how do we move goods if we do not take shipping subsector as one of the most important element in the implementation of this agreement.

“Goods leaving the shores of any African country to another African country end up in Europe before they begin to route them out back to Africa, which takes a long time. Because of that, the cost of logistics is so high, therefore increasing the cost of doing business within the maritime sector.

“We are looking at how we can partner with mega shipping companies around the world to pay attention to facilities that are being developed in Nigeria by major shipping companies and terminal operators in Nigeria, so that we can begin to think of how to make Nigeria a maritime logistics hub in Africa.

“This is one major concern for us in the next one year. We have started meeting with other companies, we would continue that. We have extracted some commitments from other companies who are willing to toe that line with us and see how we can achieve that within the next one year. “Some of the investment opportunities that are open in this sector are enormous that even the players that are already in this economy playing at the moment should be encouraged to bring in more investment and we guarantee that such investment would not be in vain.

“As the port economic regulator, ours is to ensure your investment yield profit. We would ensure that working together would build the necessary infrastructure in maritime logistics which is one the major areas that we are focusing on to ensure goods are moving.

“We understand that transshipment of goods between Nigeria and other African countries and countries in the hinter land can be made possible with the infrastructure that we have developed in the country already, using Apapa or Onne.”