The Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), Dr. Akutah Pius, has urged stronger stakeholder collaboration to tackle the persistent rejection of Nigerian exports in international markets.
Dr. Akutah made this call when members of the Export Commodity Committee from the Federal Ministry of Trade and Investment paid a courtesy visit to the NSC headquarters in Lagos.
Call for Wider Collaboration
He encouraged the committee to extend similar visits to other relevant government agencies in order to foster collective efforts that would guarantee wider recognition and acceptance of Nigerian exports globally.
The NSC boss stressed the urgent need to address recurring challenges, including the poor quality of export produce, improper packaging, and other compliance gaps that have made Nigerian goods vulnerable to rejection abroad.
Inland Dry Ports for Export Growth
Highlighting the Council’s ongoing interventions, Dr. Akutah explained that the NSC has been facilitating the development of Inland Dry Ports (IDPs) across different regions of the country. These facilities, he said, are designed to serve as hubs for indigenous exports by bringing shipping services closer to shippers in the hinterlands.
Ministry Commends NSC’s Role
Responding, Mrs. Hajara Usman, Head of Commodities and Export Desk at the Federal Ministry of Trade and Investment, commended the Shippers’ Council for its pivotal role in advancing Nigeria’s agro-export sector.
She noted that the Export Commodity Committee was established by the Federal Government to sanitize the export sector, adding that the visit was intended to strengthen synergy with the NSC in pursuit of that mandate.
