Executive Secretary/CEO, NSC, Dr. Akutah Pius, MON (fifth from left), Director-General of the ACCI, Mr. Agabaidu Chukwemeka Jideani (fourth from left), Head, Abuja Liaison Office of the Council, Dr. Pauline Osasona (sixth from left) and other delegates during the meeting

The Nigerian Shippers’ Council NSC, and the Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry ACCI, have agreed to forge a strategic partnership in order to build stronger ties focused on fostering economic growth by boosting non-oil export trade and empower exporters.

Executive Secretary/CEO of the Council, Dr. Akutah Pius, MON, who spoke when he received the Director-General of the ACCI, Mr. Agabaidu Chukwemeka Jideani and his team at the NSC Liaison Office in Abuja, also hinted that the Council was planning to leverage its Cargo Defence Fund to train exporters on documentation, shipping contracts, and global best practices, as part of measures to address recurring issues of poor packaging, among others, which often lead to rejection of Nigerian shipments abroad.

Delivering a welcome address, the ES/CEO stated that the visit was driven by the common goal of transforming Nigeria’s port sector into a robust engine for non-oil economic growth. He emphasized that this was not merely a ceremonial gathering, but a call for practical steps towards growing the non-oil export and import sector through joint advocacy, capacity building, information sharing, export documentation and alternative Dispute Resolution.

The NSC Boss proposed a “symbiotic relationship” founded on joint advocacy to dismantle unfair shipping practices and trade barriers. Central to this partnership is a strong focus on capacity building and information sharing, with both organizations operating as data-driven entities to guide businesses and prevent them from losing money in foreign trades where they lack proper knowledge of their international partners.

“The Council has plans to leverage the Cargo Defence Fund to train exporters on documentation, shipping contracts, and global best practices, addressing recurring issues like poor packaging that often lead to rejected shipments abroad.

“To save businesses from “costly and expensive” legal delays, the Council offers its complaint handling platform as a non-adversarial alternative to court actions to all non-oil exporters.

“Looking towards the future, the Council proposes the establishment of an Abuja Shippers Association Booth at the September 2026 Trade Fair to provide local shippers with global market visibility”, the NSC-boss said.

He concluded by promising that ACCI members would have their complaints treated with “urgency” and, significantly, that the Chamber would always have “a seat at the table” when new policies affecting shippers are being discussed.

In response, the Director-General, ACCI, welcomed the partnership and outlined key initiatives for collaboration. He highlighted the Business Skills and Technology BEST, Centre, which has trained over 500 exporters through international partnerships, noting that gaps in packaging and documentation often result in Nigerian goods being rebranded abroad. He proposed the Centre as a training hub for NSC, particularly for the northern region.

The DG also drew attention to the Chamber’s Dispute Resolution Centre, which provides mediation and arbitration services, as well as its Policy Advocacy Centre, which bridges the gap between government and the private sector.

To improve awareness, he called for clearer communication of NSC’s mandate, often confused with that of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council.

Further proposals included joint trade missions, policy dialogues across northern Nigeria, and creative advocacy initiatives, such as using metal art to promote awareness of the maritime sector.

The meeting concluded with Dr. Akutah directing the Head of the Abuja Liaison Office, Dr. Pauline Osasona, to establish a working team to drive implementation, beginning with training programmes and preparations for the 2026 Abuja International Trade Fair.