The Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) has announced a five-year strategic plan (2025–2029) to guide the implementation of the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy’s goal of improving trade logistics, cargo management and port infrastructure development.
The Council also issued a call for a digital shift within the agency, declaring that the era of paper-driven bureaucracy is over and that performance, outcomes, and measurable results will now define the Council’s operations.
Speaking at the opening of a two-day NSC Management System Retreat yesterday in Lagos, the Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer, NSC, Dr Pius Akutah, said this reform is designed to align the Council with the Federal Government’s strategic priorities under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
The retreat is themed: “Achieving Strategic Intents Through Performance Lens.”
Akutah expressed discontent with the current inefficiencies in Nigerian ports, citing unacceptable cargo dwell times and vessel turnaround statistics.
To address this, he announced a policy directive for the Regulatory Services and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) units to jointly develop a real-time integrated dashboard in collaboration with terminal operators and the Nigeria Customs Service.
He said the dashboard will provide live updates on cargo and vessel processing metrics and will feature prominently in the Council’s monthly performance reviews.
The NSC boss also issued a December 2025 deadline for full deployment of the Council’s Enterprise Content Management (ECM) system.
Akutah stated that all internal documentation, from memos to approvals, must transition to the digital platform by the end of 2025 third quarter, warning that departments’ failure to comply will face administrative sanctions.
He also stated that the Council must pivot from being a process-heavy institution to a performance-based regulatory agency, while directing departments to align their yearly workplans with the national marine and blue economy policy.
On human resources, Akutah emphasised that the Federal Government’s Performance Management System is now mandatory, noting that every staff member is to be assessed based on Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), with promotions, postings, and recognitions tied directly to individual and departmental outcomes.
He said the Human Resources and Strategic Planning departments have been tasked with finalising and implementing these performance contracts.
On infrastructure delivery, Akutah emphasised the importance of Inland Dry Ports and related projects in Jos, Ogun (Gateway IDP), Kano (Dala IDP), Potiskum Vehicle Transit Area (VTA), and the Border Information Centres, stressing that these initiatives must progress beyond the planning stage into execution.
He announced his oversight of project timelines, budgets, and stakeholder coordination, with biweekly progress reports mandated from the Inland Transport Services Department and relevant zonal coordinators.
Speaking earlier, the Director, Strategic Planning and Research Department, NSC, Rotimi Anifowoshe, underscored the significance of the session, saying it is a reaffirmation of the council’s shared commitment to accountability, results-based performance, and continuous improvement.
He said the strategic planning session, which informed the draft five-year strategic planning report, is a reflective process designed to realign the institution’s vision and goals with emerging national and sectoral priorities.
A key highlight of the event was the signing of a performance bond by the Executive Secretary and departmental heads, which Anifowoshe said signals a new era of performance-focused governance.
According to him, the bond is a bold statement of leadership accountability and collective responsibility, intended to promote transparency, institutional discipline, and measurable outcomes.
