Nigerian to assist Sierra Leone in establishing Shippers' Council

The Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) on Friday said it would collaborate with the Sierra Leone Maritime Administration to establish the Sierra Leonean Shippers’ Council.


The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Executive Council of the NSC, Mr Hassan Bello, stated this while receiving a delegation of the Sierra Leone Maritime Administration at the Council’s Headquarters’ in Lagos.

Bello said that the collaboration would enable both countries to discuss on shipping issues with the hope of strengthening African shipping operations.

He said that NSC had been collaborating with the Nigerian Export Import Bank (NEXIM) to start with two ships and trade on export products within the West Central Africa sub-region.

The executive secretary said that the partnership with NEXIM was to create shipping link in the regional trade.

He said that Nigeria was an import-dependent nation, adding that there was need to look inwards on exportation to diversify the economy and regulate the cost of doing business.

Bello said that NSC was established in 1978, adding that there was need for Inter -African trade to enable African countries to deliberate on terms of trade.

“If you have a shippers’ council, it is important to have cargo owners in your country because it will assist the establishment of the council.

“We will be inviting you to our seminars to enable you to understand the operations of shippers’ councils.

“I have already invited the Chief Judge of Sierra Leone to attend Maritime Seminar for Judges slated to hold on May 31 and to also assist your legal department on how to attend to shipping-related issues,’’ Bello said.

He said that the Seminar for Judges had been assisting Nigerian lawyers to be familiar with admiralty laws, adding that it had been fast tracking maritime cases at the courts.

Bello said that the NSC, being the Port Economic Regulator, would be focusing on provision of modern infrastructure to facilitate trade at the ports.