The Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), Dr. Akutah Pius, MON, has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, stating that the President’s Renewed Hope Agenda has provided the vision and political will to reform Nigeria’s Marine and Blue Economy sector.
Dr. Akutah made this remark when the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Marine Transport, Senator Wasiu Eshinlokun-Sanni, led members of the Committee on an oversight visit to the NSC Headquarters in Lagos on Thursday.
He appreciated the visit by the National Assembly and lauded the Honourable Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, His Excellency, Adegboyega Oyetola, CON, for his dynamic leadership in the sector. According to him, Oyetola’s guidance has supported and repositioned the Council as a driver of trade facilitation, regulation, and growth.
The NSC boss also acknowledged the pivotal role played by the National Assembly in the historic passage of the Nigerian Port Economic Regulatory Agency (NPERA) Bill 2025.
“It is a milestone that will forever reshape Nigeria’s maritime industry. It guarantees fairness, transparency, and competitiveness at our ports, and reflects the legislature’s enduring legacy in strengthening this critical sector,” he said.
In his remarks, Senator Wasiu Eshinlokun-Sanni explained that the Committee’s oversight visit was a constitutional responsibility vested in the National Assembly by the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“This empowers the National Assembly to conduct oversight visits to Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs). Our visit to the Nigerian Shippers’ Council is in line with this mandate,” he stated.
He stressed that the essence of such visits is to ensure transparency, accountability, and efficiency in the implementation of government policies and programmes.
Senator Eshinlokun further expressed the Committee’s readiness to support the Council’s transition into the Nigerian Port Economic Regulatory Agency (NPERA), noting that its establishment would strengthen the Council’s capacity to effectively execute its regulatory mandate across the nation’s ports.
