NSC CEO, Akutah, Moves to Improve on Cargo Dwell Time, Vessel Turnaround, Describes Tinubu as Reform-oriented Leader
Akutah
By Francis Ugwoke
The Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), Dr. Pius Akutah, on Wednesday expressed concerns the current cargo dwell time and vessel turnaround statistics in the nation’s ports.
Akutah said this trend remains “unacceptable”, adding that there was the need to ensure that cargo clearing timelines in Nigerian ports were reduced to match regional benchmarks.
This was as the NSC CEO praised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his bold and reform-oriented leadership whose Renewed Hope Agenda has injected a new sense of clarity and urgency into the governance of our nation’s strategic sectors.
Akutah who spoke on the occasion of the Council’s Management Special Retreat under the theme, “Achieving Strategic Intents Through Performance Lens,” told the Regulatory Services and ICT units to collaborate with terminal operators and Customs to develop an integrated dashboard that tracks real-time vessel/cargo processing metrics.
He said that the dashboard shall henceforth form part of the Council’s monthly performance review with him, adding that it was wrong to continue to have manual processes.
He said, “the days of manual processing must come to an end. Our Enterprise Content Management (ECM) system must be fully deployed, with 100% compliance across all departments latest by December 2025.
“By the end of Q3 2025, all internal memos, approvals, correspondences, and record-keeping must migrate to the ECM platform. Any department that fails to comply will face administrative sanctions”.
“The implementation of the Federal Government’s Performance Management System is non-negotiable. Each staff member, from the highest to the most junior, must be assessed against a clearly defined set of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)”, he said.
He told the staff that the federal government, through its National Policy on Marine and Blue Economy, has placed performance at the centre of national development.
He therefore told the staff that this was a call for institutions like the Council to show leadership in “Facilitating trade, Improving port efficiency, Strengthening inter-agency coordination, Accelerating port infrastructure delivery, Enhancing stakeholder confidence, and Mainstreaming sustainability across the logistics value chain”
He added, “The Strategic Plan (2025–2029) developed by the Council, and the retreat that convenes us here today, reflect our response to that call.
“I wish to now outline our strategic imperatives and issue clear policy directives to guide implementation over the next five years.
“The Council must serve as both a policy anchor and delivery vehicle in support of the Ministry’s goals. Our mandates align with the policy’s strategic thrusts, including trade logistics, cargo management, and port infrastructure development.
“All departments — particularly Legal Services, Strategic Planning, & Research, Regulatory Services, Consumer Affairs, Inland Transport Services, and Zonal Coordinators, are to align annual workplans with relevant components of the national policy. Quarterly reports evidencing this alignment shall henceforth be submitted to the ES/CEO’s Office and transmitted to the Ministry”.
Akutah was full of praises to President Tinubu, stressing that his “bold and reform-oriented leadership whose Renewed Hope Agenda has injected a new sense of clarity and urgency into the governance of our nation’s strategic sectors.
According to him, “Under Mr. President’s direction, the Federal Government has made an unambiguous statement through the creation of the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy – entrusted with transforming Nigeria’s vast ocean economy into a catalyst for diversification, growth, and sustainability.
“We are equally privileged to be under the astute leadership of the Honourable Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, His Excellency Adegboyega Oyetola, CON, whose visionary approach, steady guidance, and tireless commitment have galvanized key institutions within the sector, including our own Council, to embrace innovation, reform, and measurable impact”.
The NSC boss said that the Council as the economic regulator will always be responsive to the stakeholders.
He said, “A regulator that is not responsive to its stakeholders loses legitimacy. We must engage constructively, communicate clearly, and act decisively.
“The PR Unit, Consumer Affairs Department, and Strategic Planning Department must institutionalise quarterly stakeholder forums, release public-facing regulatory newsletters, and establish a formal complaint-resolution tracker.
“This administration will prioritise talent development, onboarding, mentorship, and welfare.
“HRM must roll out a structured induction process for all new staff within 30 days of employment. Additionally, the Council will institutionalise a Leadership and Innovation Development Series for senior officers, starting from Q3 2025.
“We must now move from good intentions to disciplined execution. From this retreat, I expect that every Director, Deputy Director, and Unit Head will return with a clear action plan, a revised mindset, and a renewed sense of urgency.”
The Director, Strategic Planning and Research Department, Mr. Rotimi Anifowose, in his welcome address said the management retreat was strategic as “validation of the Council’s recently concluded strategic planning session”, as well as signing of the performance bond between the Executive Secretary and the Heads of Departments and Units.
Anifowose said, “Our recent strategic planning session was not merely a routine exercise. It was a participatory and reflective engagement designed to realign our institutional vision, mission, and goals especially with curent transitional period and future expectations.
“The insights, ideas, and recommendations gathered during that session have been meticulously documented in the draft report, which we are here today to validate.” .
The Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), Dr. Pius Akutah, on Wednesday expressed concerns the current cargo dwell time and vessel turnaround statistics in the nation’s ports.
Akutah said this trend remains “unacceptable”, adding that there was the need to ensure that cargo clearing timelines in Nigerian ports were reduced to match regional benchmarks.
This was as the NSC CEO praised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his bold and reform-oriented leadership whose Renewed Hope Agenda has injected a new sense of clarity and urgency into the governance of our nation’s strategic sectors.
Akutah who spoke on the occasion of the Council’s Management Special Retreat under the theme, “Achieving Strategic Intents Through Performance Lens,” told the Regulatory Services and ICT units to collaborate with terminal operators and Customs to develop an integrated dashboard that tracks real-time vessel/cargo processing metrics.
He said that the dashboard shall henceforth form part of the Council’s monthly performance review with him, adding that it was wrong to continue to have manual processes.
He said, “the days of manual processing must come to an end. Our Enterprise Content Management (ECM) system must be fully deployed, with 100% compliance across all departments latest by December 2025.
“By the end of Q3 2025, all internal memos, approvals, correspondences, and record-keeping must migrate to the ECM platform. Any department that fails to comply will face administrative sanctions”.
“The implementation of the Federal Government’s Performance Management System is non-negotiable. Each staff member, from the highest to the most junior, must be assessed against a clearly defined set of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)”, he said.
He told the staff that the federal government, through its National Policy on Marine and Blue Economy, has placed performance at the centre of national development.
He therefore told the staff that this was a call for institutions like the Council to show leadership in “Facilitating trade, Improving port efficiency, Strengthening inter-agency coordination, Accelerating port infrastructure delivery, Enhancing stakeholder confidence, and Mainstreaming sustainability across the logistics value chain”
He added, “The Strategic Plan (2025–2029) developed by the Council, and the retreat that convenes us here today, reflect our response to that call.
“I wish to now outline our strategic imperatives and issue clear policy directives to guide implementation over the next five years.
“The Council must serve as both a policy anchor and delivery vehicle in support of the Ministry’s goals. Our mandates align with the policy’s strategic thrusts, including trade logistics, cargo management, and port infrastructure development.
“All departments — particularly Legal Services, Strategic Planning, & Research, Regulatory Services, Consumer Affairs, Inland Transport Services, and Zonal Coordinators, are to align annual workplans with relevant components of the national policy. Quarterly reports evidencing this alignment shall henceforth be submitted to the ES/CEO’s Office and transmitted to the Ministry”.
Akutah was full of praises to President Tinubu, stressing that his “bold and reform-oriented leadership whose Renewed Hope Agenda has injected a new sense of clarity and urgency into the governance of our nation’s strategic sectors.
According to him, “Under Mr. President’s direction, the Federal Government has made an unambiguous statement through the creation of the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy – entrusted with transforming Nigeria’s vast ocean economy into a catalyst for diversification, growth, and sustainability.
“We are equally privileged to be under the astute leadership of the Honourable Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, His Excellency Adegboyega Oyetola, CON, whose visionary approach, steady guidance, and tireless commitment have galvanized key institutions within the sector, including our own Council, to embrace innovation, reform, and measurable impact”.
The NSC boss said that the Council as the economic regulator will always be responsive to the stakeholders.
He said, “A regulator that is not responsive to its stakeholders loses legitimacy. We must engage constructively, communicate clearly, and act decisively.
“The PR Unit, Consumer Affairs Department, and Strategic Planning Department must institutionalise quarterly stakeholder forums, release public-facing regulatory newsletters, and establish a formal complaint-resolution tracker.
“This administration will prioritise talent development, onboarding, mentorship, and welfare.
“HRM must roll out a structured induction process for all new staff within 30 days of employment. Additionally, the Council will institutionalise a Leadership and Innovation Development Series for senior officers, starting from Q3 2025.
“We must now move from good intentions to disciplined execution. From this retreat, I expect that every Director, Deputy Director, and Unit Head will return with a clear action plan, a revised mindset, and a renewed sense of urgency.”
The Director, Strategic Planning and Research Department, Mr. Rotimi Anifowose, in his welcome address said the management retreat was strategic as “validation of the Council’s recently concluded strategic planning session”, as well as signing of the performance bond between the Executive Secretary and the Heads of Departments and Units.
Anifowose said, “Our recent strategic planning session was not merely a routine exercise. It was a participatory and reflective engagement designed to realign our institutional vision, mission, and goals especially with curent transitional period and future expectations.
“The insights, ideas, and recommendations gathered during that session have been meticulously documented in the draft report, which we are here today to validate.” .
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