NSC launches online portal in Calabar to ease registration for regulated port service providers
The Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) has launched an online portal for the registration of regulated port service providers and users.
The launch which took place on Thursday at the Venetian Arena in Calabar, Cross River State, was attended by stakeholders in the sector.
The online portal is a significant milestone for the NSC, as it signifies the transition from manual registration to a fully automated platform.
Speaking at the event, Barr. Pius Akutah, the Executive Secretary/CEO of NSC, in his keynote address, highlighted the primacy of registration and the benefits it brings to the stakeholders.
Akutah maintained that all service providers and users must register and obtain a certificate of registration to legally operate at the nation’s seaports.
The registration exercise is divided into various categories and requires a token fee to cover administrative charges.
Akutah also emphasized that the motive behind the registration process is not to generate revenue but to create a database of service providers and genuine shippers, as well as to promote a safe and secure business environment.
The online portal aims to eliminate the challenges posed by faceless shippers and promote transparency and accountability in the port system.
The portal is user-friendly, and participants at the launch were given insights on how to access the platform and ensure a seamless registration process.
In his keynote address, he said, “Nigerian Shippers Council Port Economic Regulation 2015, Part 11 Section 4(1) mandates the Council to register all regulated Ports Service Providers and Users operating at Nigerian Ports”
“The registration exercise has been ongoing albeit manual until early last year when the Council completed work on the online portal. For us in the Council, the new portal is a milestone as we upgrade from manual registration to a fully automated registration platform.
According to Barr. Akutah, “The platform is interactive as the physical interface is eliminated. From the convenience of your office desk, your company can be registered online without having to visit any of our offices as long as you fulfill the requirements and make the necessary payments”
“The registration exercise is in various categories and attracts a token fee as the motive is not to generate revenue but to meet the administrative charge of running the platform, among others”
He said, “All service providers and users must register and obtain a certificate of registration before they can be adjudged as legally operating at the nation’s seaports. It is therefore important to register with the NSC to avoid being sanctioned”
He further stated, “The registration when commences will assist the Economic Regulator, the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), in building a database of service providers as well as genuine shippers and other stakeholders operating in the port system.
“This will enable industry practitioners to transact business and operate in a safe and secure business environment. As well as sanitizing the ports, it will help to eliminate the challenges of faceless shippers in the port system”
He said, “Although the portal is highly user-friendly, in the course of the presentations that will follow shortly, more insights on how to access the platform and other necessary tips required to ensure a hitch-free registration will be expatriated”
“On this note, I wish to formally declare the sensitization workshop on the online Portal for Registration of Regulated Port Service Providers and Users”
Mr. Glory Onojedo, the Director (South-South Zone) of NSC, welcomed participants to the launching event and highlighted the importance of a competitive and efficient port system.
He mentioned some of the accomplishments of the NSC, including the moderation of costs by engaging with service providers and the establishment of guidelines for setting tariffs and charges.
Onojedo also mentioned the promotion and development of transport infrastructure and the establishment of mechanisms for monitoring compliance and resolving complaints.
Participants at the event were guided through the application process and provided with information on the fee structure, annual renewal, and document requirements.
The launch of the online portal marks an important step towards a more streamlined and transparent registration process for regulated port service providers and users in Nigeria.
The keynote speaker at the event, Barr. Pius Akutah, the Executive Secretary/CEO of NSC, in his address, stresses the primacy of registration and the benefits it brings to the stakeholders and appeals to all concerned to key into the new process.
Akutah stated that all service providers and users must register and obtain a certificate of registration to legally operate at the nation’s seaports.
The registration exercise is divided into various categories and requires a token fee to cover administrative charges.
Akutah also emphasized that the motive behind the registration process is not to generate revenue but to create a database of service providers and genuine shippers, as well as to promote a safe and secure business environment.
The online portal aims to eliminate the challenges posed by faceless shippers and promote transparency and accountability in the port system.
The portal is user-friendly, and participants at the launch were given insights on how to access the platform and ensure a seamless registration process” Akukah
Mr. Glory Onojedo, the Director (South-South Zone) of NSC, welcomed participants to the launching event and enumerated the essence of a competitive and efficient port system.
He mentioned some of the accomplishments of the NSC, including the moderation of costs by engaging with service providers and the establishment of guidelines for setting tariffs and charges.
Onojedo also mentioned the promotion and development of transport infrastructure and the establishment of mechanisms for monitoring compliance and resolving complaints.
Participants at the event were guided through the application process and provided with information on the fee structure, annual renewal, and document requirements.
The launch of the online portal marks an important step towards a more streamlined and transparent registration process for regulated port service providers and users in Nigeria.
