Akutah highlights importance of capacity building for public sector transformation at ASCON  training

By Ezurike Ugochukwu

The Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), Akutah Pius, has joined chief executives of federal government agencies and parastatals at the 14th Cohort of the Mandatory Training Programme for Chief Executive Officers organised by the Administrative Staff College of Nigeria in Topo, Badagry, Lagos.

The high-level executive programme, designed to strengthen leadership capacity, strategic management skills and institutional governance across the public sector, brought together heads of key government agencies to deepen their understanding of contemporary leadership challenges and improve service delivery.

Akutah’s participation reflects the Nigerian Shippers’ Council’s commitment to continuous professional development, sound corporate governance and the pursuit of innovative solutions to challenges confronting Nigeria’s maritime, logistics and transport sectors.

The training programme comes at a critical period when the Federal Government is intensifying reforms aimed at enhancing trade facilitation, improving port efficiency, reducing logistics costs and strengthening the competitiveness of Nigeria’s transport ecosystem under the Renewed Hope agenda.

As the nation’s port economic regulator, the Nigerian Shippers’ Council plays a pivotal role in promoting efficiency within the maritime value chain, protecting the interests of port users and supporting government efforts to create a more transparent and business-friendly environment for trade.

Industry observers note that effective leadership remains a key factor in driving the implementation of ongoing reforms, particularly as the maritime sector embraces digitalisation initiatives such as the National Single Window project, port modernisation programmes and efforts to improve multimodal transportation networks.

The ASCON programme is expected to equip participants with advanced skills in strategic leadership, policy implementation, stakeholder management, public sector innovation and institutional transformation, all of which are critical to delivering measurable results in government agencies.

For the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, the participation of its chief executive underscores a broader commitment to strengthening institutional capacity and aligning the Council’s operations with global best practices in maritime regulation, trade facilitation and public sector governance.

Akutah

The leadership development initiative also highlights the Federal Government’s recognition that strong institutions and competent leadership are essential to unlocking Nigeria’s economic potential, attracting investment and positioning the maritime sector as a major contributor to national growth and the blue economy agenda.

Stakeholders in the maritime industry have consistently emphasised the need for capacity building among public sector leaders, arguing that sustainable reforms in port operations, shipping development and logistics management depend largely on visionary leadership, policy consistency and effective execution.