At the Nigerian Shippers’ Council 2025 Annual Management System Retreat have been enjoined to ensure that their work plans reflect national policy on Marine and Blue Economy.
The Retreat called for a clear picture for the agency to realign its operations with the nation’s renewed maritime ambitions.
The retreat which held in Lagos, has the theme: “Achieving Strategic Intents Through Performance Lens ”
The retreat also marked a watershed for Nigeria’s shipping sector, signaling decisive steps toward efficiency, accountability, and innovation in the country’s quest for maritime prosperity.
Delivering the keynote address, Executive Secretary / CEO of the NSC, Dr. Pius Ukeyima. Akutah, emphasized the Council’s pivotal role in the Federal Government’s emerging blue economy agenda.
The Executive Secretary declared the era of bureaucracy and paper-driven operations over, urging staffers to measure success through tangible outcomes rather than mere activity.
Akutah called on the various departments to ensure that their annual work plans reflect the national policy on Marine and Blue Economy, with mandatory quarterly reports evidencing alignment to be submitted to both the office of the Executive Secretary and the Ministry
He added that the Council is set to fully deploy its Enterprise Content Management (ECM) system by December 2025, with a strict deadline for all internal communications to transition from manual processes by Q3 2025. Departments failing to comply will face administrative sanction
Akutah further unveiled a five-year strategic plan, listing imperatives that include:
Facilitating trade and improving port efficiency; strengthening inter-agency coordination and accelerating port infrastructure; enhancing stakeholder confidence and embedding sustainability throughout logistics.
Furthermore, he stressed the need to address port inefficiencies, committing to reduce cargo dwell times and vessel turnaround to regional standards, adding that a planned integrated dashboard will facilitate real-time monitoring of port metrics and form part of monthly performance reviews.
According to him, the Council will introduce an induction process for new hires and launch a leadership innovation development series for senior officers beginning in Q3 2025.
On stakeholder relations, Akutah noted that Units responsible for public relations, consumer affairs, and strategic planning must institutionalize stakeholder forums, regular newsletters, and a formal complaints tracker.
The Executive Secretary also outlined key infrastructure projects—including Jos Inland Dry Port, Gateway IDP (Ogun), Kano Dala IDP, and Potiskum VTA—which have been tasked with moving beyond paperwork into tangible execution. Progress on these , he stressed will be monitored through biweekly reports, with a personal commitment from him to oversee timelines and budgets