Our Registration Fees Necessary For Data Collection - Shippers Council

Nigeria Shipping Council.


The Nigerian Shippers Council, NSC has said that the planned registration of operators in the maritime will help in the gathering of data for the industry.

Disclosing this in Lagos at a talk shop put together by the Nigerian Chamber of Shipping, NCS, Director, Consumer Affairs Department of the NSC, Chief Cajetan Agu, said presently there is no data on operators in the sector.

Agu explained that the registration will help collation of information on all operators which will in turn assist in planning purposes and help foreign operators wanting to do business in the country’s maritime industry to identify the right person.

Similarly, a frontline Customs broker and immediate past National President of the Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents, ANLCA, Olayiwole Shittu, backed the new fees.

Shittu noted that the fee is not too much, stressing that as the economic regulator the NSC has the time to register all operators in the sector.

The former ANLCA boss disclosed that Customs brokers presently registers with the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, each of the terminal operators where they operate and also the shipping companies.

He pointed out that registration with the NSC will help in profiling all operators in the sector.

According to him, “There is no issue with that registration, people should go and register. In America there are about 10 to 15 places to register when you have business to do there. I do not think N5, 000 is too much for you to go and put your particulars down.

“Presently, Customs brokers are renewing license with Customs, are renewing license from the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, they doing registration with terminals operators, that is individual terminal operators not even one off with all the terminals, they register with every shipping company that they have business with.

“Even the Customs, you must also do so in every command. Why do you not say we have renewed our license from Abuja and then you have and then you are not expected to do so again at the Command level.

“I do not know what changes you people are looking for but I think as commercial regulator, Shippers Council can register those who are operating in the sector,” he noted.