Shippers’ Council, Tanzanian govt discuss bilateral cooperation on maritime development initiatives

By Ezurike Ugochukwu 

The Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) has reaffirmed its commitment to collaborating with the Tanzanian government to enhance maritime operations and foster regional cooperation.

Dr. Akutah Pius, the Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of the NSC, made the confirmation when a 19-member delegation from Tanzania visited it’s headquarters in Lagos.

The two parties discussed technical support, inter-port partnerships, capacity building, and infrastructure sharing to spur growth in Tanzania’s maritime sector.

Akutah expressed enthusiasm about the prospects for bilateral cooperation aimed at boosting shipping activities in East Africa.

NSC boss however highlighted Nigeria’s supportive policies for private sector participation in port operations, commended Tanzania for having intention to include private investors in their shipping industry.

According to him, shipping business must be driven by the private sector because of the enormity of investments there in.

He also harped on the importance of transport connectivity in a quest to meet maritime hub under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

Akutah explained that the shipping industry, especially in developing countries must be driven by private investors.

Tanzanian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Ambassador Selestine Gervas Kakele, emphasized their intent to learn from Nigeria’s port economic regulatory framework, viewing the NSC as a strategic partner in developing indigenous shipping capabilities.

In his contribution, Deputy Attorney General of Tanzania, Sammel Marco Manene, said Nigeria is one of the prominent countries in West Africa that is doing credibly well in terms of trade.

According to him, Tanzania is trying to see how they can benefit from the geographical location of its country as one of the countries in Africa.

Both sides underscored the importance of sustaining and expanding the robust trade relations between Nigeria and Tanzania, with plans for further engagement and knowledge exchange to drive maritime growth across Africa.