Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, Pius Akutah, has reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to prioritising the diversification of the non-oil sector.

Mr Akutah said this in a statement issued by the Assistant Director, Public Relations Unit of NSC, Rebecca Adamu, in Lagos State, on Sunday.

Mr Akutah stated this when he led the agency’s management team on a two-day working visit to Port Harcourt and Onne ports.

He said that the team had opportunity to inspect Bua Port Terminal at Rivers Port, Onne Multipurpose Terminal and West Africa Container Terminal in Rivers State, respectively.

According to the executive secretary, the Federal Government is committed to making Nigeria an investment hub for investors in the country.

He said that the issue of rail connectivity would help to reduce the cost of haulage transportation.

The council boss said that the essence of the visit was to have an on-the-spot assessment of the facilities in the terminal

Mr Akutah said that NSC as the Port Economic Regulator was working with the Nigerian Ports Authority on port automation to reduce human contacts and seamless cargo clearance.

He also said that the NSC was advocating for the bill which would transform the agency into the Nigerian Shipping and Port Economic Regulatory Agency.

Mr Akutah said the federal government was committed to creating an enabling environment for investors in the country.

He said that there was a need to constantly visit the ports and engage the stakeholders in trade facilitation, which is in line with the President’s vision on ease of doing business.

Mr Akutah said he had an interactive session with major stakeholders operating at the eastern ports after the facility tours of the ports and terminals.

He said the essence of the interaction session with stakeholders was to listen to the challenges they were facing to proffer solutions to them.

He harped on the benefit of stakeholders’ engagement and promised to ensure the continuity of its collaboration with stakeholders operating at the ports.

Mr Akutah said the government was committed to creating an enabling environment for businesses to strive by addressing decayed infrastructure at the ports.

He promised that the eastern ports would not be left out in the government efforts to address the decaying infrastructure.

(NAN).