Shippers council visits Kaduna port, pledges support for optimal productivity

The Nigeria Shippers Council (NSC) says it will provide support to enhance the productivity of the Kaduna dry inland port.

Pius Akutah, executive secretary of the council, spoke during a familiarisation visit to the port on Monday.

Akutah said the visit was necessary to get acquainted with the operators of the port and encourage them.

He acknowledged that the port has not been functioning at its full potential due to legal and liability issues pending before the national assembly.

Akutah said the issues need to be expedited.

The NSC secretary said the minister of marine and blue economy has directed the council to explore solutions, ensuring that port infrastructures achieve their optimal goals.

“We as regulators are here to listen to the port’s challenges and see where we could tackle the issues for optimal productivity for the benefit of Nigerians,” Akutah said.

On his part, Bala Saleh, director of legal services at NSC, said delays in delivering goods to inland dry ports (IDPs) are due to the absence of a liability bill, which is currently in its second reading.

Saleh said the bill aims to address responsibility for damaged or lost goods transported to the IDPs.

He urged the Kaduna port to invest significantly in promoting its activities to attract more business.

Also speaking, Omotayo Dada, managing director (MD) of the port, expressed gratitude for the NSC’s support towards ensuring optimal productivity of the facility.

“The port has capacity to do more than it is operating on, but with this visit and support from the shippers council we are ready for business,” Dada said.

The managing director said the port’s objective is to reduce congestion by delivering shipping and port services directly to the doors of importers and exporters, facilitating smoother trade operations.