By Noah Ocheni, Lokoja
The Zonal Director, North-Central Zone of the Nigeria Shippers’ Council, Mrs Ify Okolue over the weekend in Lokoja disclosed that the Council has pledged to scale up its services to Kogi Shippers to ensure efficient and effective Transport/Maritime system and enhance support service ability to complete in the global economy.
The Director who disclosed this at the validation and inauguration of a new Executive Council for Kogi Shippers’ Association in Lokoja over the weekend said the quality, cost and efficiency of the council’s services influences the trading environment as well as the overall cost of goods traded internationally.
She said that due to the historical precedence of the people of Kogi State with maritime related activities along the Rivers Niger and Benue, the council deemed it necessary to establish an Area Office in Lokoja sometimes in March, 2000.
The North Central Zonal Director said that the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) recommended the establishment of National Shippers Council in developing economies in 1956 to serve as a countervailing force against the excesses of foreign ship owners and other multinational maritime service providers.
Okolue said that one of the statutory functions of the Council was to provide a forum for protection of interest of shippers on matters affecting the shipment of imports and exports to and from Nigeria and to encourage the formation of shippers’ associations all over the country.
She appealed to all stakeholders to support the new leadership of the Association with ideas and suggestions that would improve the attainment of international trade and contribute to socio-economic development of the people of Kogi state.
Speaking in same vein, Mr Edwin Ignatius, Area Officer of the NSC in Kogi said Nigeria earned over 405 million US Dollars from export of Cashew nuts in 2018 with Kogi accounting for over 60 per cent of entire cashew production.
He said if properly harnessed and channeled with adequate information, the state stood to generate a lot of foreign exchange for the nation through its abundant natural resources.
In his post election speech, the President of the association, Mr Habuh-Rajan Suleiman thanked the Nigerian Shippers Council and members of the Association for finding him worthy to serve.
He said that the Association which comprised of prospective and active importers and exporters would use its power of advocacy to negotiate and manage transportation services on behalf of his members.
The highlight of the occasion was the administration of the Oath of Office administered on the newly elected executive officers of the association by a legal practitioner, Ogalla Omachoko Esq.
