By Godwin Oritse

IN a bid to checkmate quackery in the Nigerian maritime industry, the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, NSC, yesterday, commenced registration of port service providers aimed at regulating their activities.

Speaking at a one day seminar themed, ‘Registration of Port Service Providers: A panacea for an efficient Port system’, Mr. Samuel Vontau, Director, Legal services at NSC, said that the essence of the registration and regulation of the services providers by the Council is to ensure the availability of adequate  and standard services in the industry as well as ensuring reasonable profit for the providers of the services.

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Vontau said  the move will also enable the regulator to sufficiently protect indigenous operators from domination by foreign services providers.

He also noted that exercise would help in addressing the presence and menace of unauthorized individuals and groups in the persisting congestion at the port corridors.

Explaining further, Vontau said the registration of all port service providers and users will assist government in its economic planning as it would help in making projections with some degree  of certainty.

He stated: “The essence is to control the number of operators to ensure the availability and adequacy of services to the port environment leading to increased efficiency.

“On the part of government, economic planners will be able to make projections with some degree of certainty, knowing the players in the ports, in terms of numbers and type of businesses they are doing. Financial projections will be made easy, as experts would easily know what the sector can generate from the types and numbers of businesses. Government will not only benefit financially, but security of lives and property will also be better managed as those entering and leaving the ports premises would already be known to security agencies.”