Nigerian Shippers’ Council Collaborates With Ghana Shippers’ Authority on Regulatory Framework, Port Costs Study

The Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC)  has collaborated with the Ghana Shippers’ Authority ( GSA) on regulatory framework and port related costs and charges study in tha West African sub-region.

This followed the visit to the Council on Tuesday by an official of the GSA, Helena Claudia Amanfu, for talks.

Amanfu said  the visit was part of a regional study that her agency started in 2018,  which will  also cover Cote’divoire, Togo, Senegal and Nigeria.

She disclosed that  the  idea  is to understudy how port charges impact on the clearing process,  and learn about Nigeria’s experience at a time NSC is reviewing its Act to fully become ports economic regulator, she added that among the team include a member of the Ghanaian Parliament, Hon. Emmanuel Akwasi Gyanfi.

In her words, ” The purpose of the visit to the NSC was to discuss port structure, cost and fees in the sub region of West Africa; In 2018, we under take a similar study in Cote’dovoire and then Togo and based on that, we sought to extend it to Senegal and then Nigeria".

Continuing she said, “To update the structure that we have, in 2024, we decide to under take the study once again. So we are here to do that cost analysis in the port.

“As the Nigerian Shippers’ Council is reviewing its Act to be a regulator, We have started the process back home and we came to look at the challenges and the best practices that we can also incorporate in our process at home”.

The Executive Secretary of the NSC, Barr. Pius Akutah, in his response said the visit remains crucial, considering the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement, which is targeting the creation of a borderless trading market.

Akutah pledged the NSC’s readiness to support in providing necessary statistics for the success of the project.

He said, “I understand that this study is very crucial, particularly now that we have the African continent trade area agreement,  We have come together under that agreement to form a borderless market so we need to harmonize what is happening within our ports to make them competitive across all and see how we can promote trade even amongst ourselves before we can go to the western world.

“This visit to me is very important in terms of our partnership as brothers within the same sub-region; “I understand that you have been to Lekki seaport to see things for yourself and take some of the statistics that will help you in this study. “We will continue to support you for the remaining time you are here. Whatever you want, we will provide the statistics that are available to us because whatever comes out as a result of this project will also be beneficial to us because of the partnership we have formed under this agreement".

On the NSC Act review, he expressed the need to ensure fairness, promote trade and protect the interests of shippers and other stakeholders in the regulatory framework.

Akutah added, “Of course, there is no perfect law but you know you have to start from somewhere and that’s what we’re trying to do. There are some concerns that have been raised which we are looking at to see how we can harmonize that and come up with a law.
“This regulatory regime will foster access to the port services and it will promote efficiency. So we are pushing for it to see how that can create a force to move on to take advantage of what is in the African continent. “We cannot have that and open our markets to the rest of the world without reflecting on what is happening in the ports".

"It will be very unattractive and it will not help us to achieve the overall targets that we are pushing for, adding  that it was very important that a member of the Ghanian delegation is from the parliament, which will help in overseeing and amending the law to get necessary regulatory powers.