NSC saves N3.27 billion on vessel demurrage in one year

The Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) said its Port Standing Task Team (PSTT) has saved the economy vessel demurrage of $6, 540, 000 (N3.27 billion) between 2020 and 2021 in the joint vessel boarding executed by government agencies.

The Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer, Emmanuel Jime, stated this at a breakfast meeting with maritime correspondents, yesterday, in Apapa, Lagos. He said about $20, 000 was saved daily.

The NSC stated that it has also reduced the average time for resolving complaints with regards to vessel infractions from about 10 days to one to four hours, just as more than 85 percent of vessels that called at the Nigerian ports in 2021 left without any incident, which was not the case in time past.

Jime said the compliance exercise with joint cargo examination by all government agencies involved in cargo clearance has helped to increase the number of cargo examined per day from 125 to an average of 230 boxes daily per terminal.

He said on complaints handling and resolution, the council 2021 received and handled 518 complaints, while in the first quarter of 2022, 100 complaints were received and handled.

He said the council, in 2021, was able to recover the sum of N1, 072, 008, 040.90, while in the first quarter of 2022, stakeholders were saved the sum of N18, 493, 961.70.

Jime noted that the council is currently working on the compilation and analysis of complaints handled in the second quarter.

“Though the Nigerian maritime sector has its peculiarities and limitations, her important role in the nation’s economy cannot be over-emphasised. Maritime transportation accounts for about 95 per cent of Nigeria’s international trade.

However, due to several challenges, Nigeria has been unable to fully harness the potential of the sector. Consequently, it is appropriate to note that Nigeria needs an effective maritime transportation system to enjoy accruable revenue and benefits of this sector,” he said.

According to Jime, the task team has been working tirelessly to fight the age-long corrupt maritime system, which poses danger to their lives.

“The task team is fighting a corrupt system that has gone up to the highest level of government. People have been complaining that the council is not attending to the challenges; they do not know that the port task team has been fighting with the masterminds of corruption in the maritime system, which have been physically attacking the team, with the hope to kill them on duty. The team has been risking their lives because the business to fight off corruption in the industry is life-threatening and this team is bent on putting their lives on the line to ensure they rid the system of these menace,” he said.