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Tag: Shippers

  • Shippers suffer 88 attacks on vessels

    The Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) said it recorded 88 attacks on vessels between 2017 and 2018.

    The Council said the attack, recorded in the Niger Delta region, has forced shipping companies to provide their own security and increase the cost of products shipped into the country.

    Following the attacks, the Nigerian Navy said 150 suspects were arrested for various maritime crimes in the last two years.

    The Council has however urged the Nigerian Navy to assist shipping firms to tackle security challenges in the maritime sector.

    NSC Executive Secretary, Hassan Bello, who spoke during a courtesy visit to the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok Ibas, said: “One of the major challenges in the maritime sector is security. We have received various complaints from the shipping companies who have been forced to provide their security to escort their vessels to port especially at the eastern port. In spite of their efforts, between 2017 and 2018, there has been 88 attacks in the Niger Delta.”

    On the implication of the security challenges, he said: “The cost of providing their own security is passed on to the consignee contributing to the high cost of the product market. Due to the high level of maritime security incidents in the Gulf of Guinea, the War Risk surcharge is imposed on Nigeria and this impacts on freight charged on Nigeria bound cargo.

    “The security challenges in the maritime sector contributes immensely to the competiveness of our nation’s ports, impedes trade and affect the nation’s gross domestic product.”

    Bello while noting that the nature of maritime security threats require collective security measures disclosed that a committee that will comprise of senior principal Naval officers and the Council would be set up to address the maritime challenges.

     

    He said: “We are going to have a committee made up of senior principal officers of the Navy and NSC to work out the details and see areas where we are going to collaborate. In addition to the various measures being put in place by the Navy and other relevant agencies, there is need for Navy to support the passage of Anti-piracy Bill into law.

    “The Navy need to provide a platform to be placed strategically offshore and guards transferred to each vessel in and then dropped off such that there is always armed naval security presence from about 80 nautical miles off Bonny fairway buoy up to Onne. This will replace the security escort service which members and other shipping companies are currently running.

    “The collaboration is aimed at making our economy stronger and with the protection we will give to merchant shipping, our economy will be stronger.”

    Also speaking, Vice Admiral Ibas disclosed that over 150 suspects were arrested for maritime offences in the last two years while over 130 vessels were seized for maritime crimes.

    He also noted that unhindered access in and out of the Apapa port would ease business and boost the economy.

    He said: “The Nigerian Navy remains committed to improving security in the nation’s maritime sector. If the ease of doing business is to be achieved, we need to look at the enforcement of political and legal framework.

    “We produced harmonised standard procedures on arrest, detention and prosecution of defaulters at sea. The document was launched by the Vice President but the operationalization of the document is what we require to get to the level of making the ease of doing business further enhanced and facilitated.

    On its challenges, Ibas said: “One area that has been of serious concern is enforcement of the harmonised Standard Operating procedure which was launched. In 2018, we arrested over 40 vessels and have in our custody over 150 suspects that we have handed over to various prosecuting agencies. For last year and the previous years alone, we had over 130 vessels seized or arrested for complicity or maritime crimes.”

     

  • Shippers to Fed Govt: pay attention to port infrastructure

    The Shippers’ Association of Lagos State (SALS) has urged the Federal Government to pay more attention to port infrastructure.

    The government, the group said, should position the ports to meet international best practices.

    Its President, Mr Jonathan Nicol,  gave the charge in a chat with The Nation.

    He called for the resuscitation of the informal sector of cargo management.

    According to him, the informal sector will contribute about 45 per cent of the total cargo throughput (imports and exports).

    He said  there was need to rebuild dead infrastructure at the ports to enable individuals in the sector to assist in nation-building.

    The Executive Secretary, Nigerian Shippers Council, Mr Hassan Bello, advised members of the group to export, especially non-oil items.

    Bello said so far, 27 shippers associations have been established across the country. He said these associations are formidable bodies for cargo protection.

    “Shippers should endeavour to channel efforts into export-ation of value-adding non-oil exports to generate revenue.

    “The Council is committed to protecting the cargo interest of Nigeria and also enjoins you to remain compliant with both national and international rules guiding global trade practices.

    “The SALS have been very active. I must commend them for their doggedness and laudable ideas and I hope they continue,” Bello said.

    Also, a maritime lawyer, Mr Doipo Alaka, said there was the need for operators to embrace maritime arbitration to resolve issues which emanated from their business.

    He said arbitrators had been in existence for more than 10 years, adding that the arbitrators had assisted several port operators to solve maritime disputes.

     

  • Shippers laud NPA’s initiative on gridlock

    The Shippers’Association of Lagos State has praised the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) for taking steps to address the Apapa gridlock.

    Its President, Mr Jonathan Nicol ,  in an interview with The Nation  hailed NPA for addressing the traffic challenge.

    “In fact, it will ground the economy for a while. The action will definitely affect cargo throughput as most vessels will be diverted to other ports, especially the Republic of Benin and Togo to discharge their Nigeria-bound cargoes.

    “Shippers, importers and other traders will have an herculean task of moving their cargoes Nigeria through Seme and associated authorised border routes.

    “At the moment, the cost of transportation of containers in Lagos municipality has gone out of reach, forcing some industries to downsize their work force. Some are closing down operations already,” Nicol said.

    The association, he said, had started dialogue with major stakeholders in the maritime sector, especially with shipping lines and terminal operators to assist in averting a “state of emergency” in the sector.

    “We propose that all Dangote vehicles on the long queue in different locations be given free access into the ports as Dangote Group has effective holding bays in their terminals.

    “Maersk Line whose containers are more in the line-up of trucks should also be given free access to their Apapa terminals to discharge their empty boxes.

    “This serves as a concession to ease the over-stressed roads and bridges across routes from Maryland through Surulere to Marine Beach through Apapa port,” he said.

    Nicol suggested that NPA and the Shippers’Council should control local cost of transportation, adding that increase in haulage fees by truckers should be to be approved by the Council, which is the port economic regulator.

    The shipper urged NPA and the  Council to bring about an effective regulatory framework agreeable to port users.

    He described the association as “a private-driven vehicle to protect and speak for importers and exporters”.

    Nicol, however, suggested that the re-construction of the Apapa-Oshodi Expressway be put on hold.

    “The bad spots on the route should be repaired. The Apapa-Marine Beach Road must be completed and put in use before embarking on the Apapa-Oshodi Road re-construction,” he said.

  • Shippers to submit manifest to Customs, NPA seven days in advance

    The Federal Government has directed shipping companies to give their cargo manifest to the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) and the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) seven days before their ships arrive at the ports.

    The advance manifest, it was gathered, will enable the government to know the cargoes’details  and the risks before the vessels’ arrival.

    The Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) issued the directive during its meeting at the Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC) office in Lagos.

    Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the President on Industry, Trade and Investment Dr Jumoke Oduwole said the directive became imperative because of the government’s determination to enthrone global best practices and facilitate trade.

    To ensure compliance with the Executive Order on 24-hour ports operations, Oduwole said the government had instructed that shipping agencies must submit their   manifest electronically to the Customs and NPA seven days before the arrival of any vessel.

    The measure, she said, would ensure that risk management is profiled and separated on time before the ship’s arrival.

    The President Muhmmadu Buhari administration, she said, was focusing on issues causing insecurity, inefficiency and delay at the ports.

    NSC Executive Secretary, Mr Hassan Bello, said the measure became necessary to achieve better service delivery.

    He said the manifest would ensure security risk assessment before the ship and the cargoes arrival.

    The measure, he said, would address delays in cargo placement and offloading.

    Bello called on shipping companies and government agencies to work together to achieve the seven-day deadline.

    He implored agencies at the ports to complement one another instead of competing with themselves.

    Bello said the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) launched by the Council was a guide to port users, adding that the government was determined to provide an enabling environment for the stakeholders to move the maritime industry forward.

    Former National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders, (NAGAFF) president, Chief Eugene Nweke said the measure required carriers to send advance commercial information about their shipments to the Customs and NPA.

    The collection and risk assessment of pre-arrival data, Nweke said, would improve the government’s ability to detect high-risk shipments before they arrive at the ports. Also, freight forwarders and clearing agents, he said, would clear low-risk, legitimate trade from the ports more efficiently.

    No Customs officer attended the meeting. But a senior Customs officer, advocated that cargo-carrying vessels should provide information on the cargo manifest, such as its consignor, consignee, quantity of goods, origin, destination and value.

    On the difference between the   manifest and bill of lading, the Customs official said: “A cargo manifest and a bill of lading sometimes carry similar information and the concept  is not always clearly distinguished. In some cases, a single document may serve both purposes.

    “In general, a bill of lading serves as a legal instrument focusing on and documenting such issues as ownership, whereas a cargo manifest is often more concerned with physical aspects of the cargo, such as weight and size. When the cargo is being shipped by different shipping companies on the same vessel, there will usually be separate bills of lading for each company, but only a single consolidated cargo manifest. On the other hand, if the cargo contains dangerous goods, there may be a separate dangerous cargo manifest.

    “In the United States, the government requires importers to file certain data elements before cargo destined is laden on board a vessel at a foreign port. These pre-importation filing requirements are known as the Importer Security Filing (ISF) or “10+2.”

    “Although these requirements affect both importers and carriers, the ISF rule has become more import compliance focused. The ISF rule mandates that the following data elements must be filed at least 24 hours prior to the loading of the cargo on an ocean vessel bound for the United States: manufacturer /(supplier) name and address; seller’s name/address; buyer’s name/address; ship-to name/address; importer of record number; consignee number(s); country of origin of goods; commodity HTSUS number; container stuffing location; and consolidator/stuffer,” the official said.

    He added: “With this directive, shipping lines  are now required to electronically transmit advanced manifest of their cargoes to Customs and NPA as soon as the vessel departs the last port of call – this is to ensure there is enough time for risk assessment, profiling and optimised placement of cargo.

    “Customs will then circulate the cargo manifests to other examination agencies and the terminal operators as soon as same are received from the shipping companies. Any shipping company that fails to transmit the advanced cargo manifest may be denied berthing rights or sanctioned by the government.”

    Findings revealed that the  measure was adopted in order to  know the type of cargo and the risks involved before arrival, prepare for emergency, confirm stowage and plan storage for goods that need special treatment.

  • Shippers’ Council recovers over N300m for govt

    The Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) recovered over N300 million in 2016, following complaints from stakeholders on alleged sharp practices at the ports, it was learnt at the weekend.

    NSC Director of Regulatory Services, Mrs. I. A. Ezedinma, spoke in Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, at a seminar organised by the council for businessmen.

    The theme of the seminar was: The Importance of Port Economic Regulation as a tool for Port Efficiency and Cost Effectiveness in International Trade.

    Mrs. Ezedinma, who spoke through an official of the agency, Mrs. Juliana Saka, said NSC handled 84 complaints from stakeholders and recovered the $1,098,898, the equivalent of over N300 million.

    Apart from the recovered amount in dollars, Mrs. Ezedinma said some other money recovered in Nigerian currency within the period was N15,437,265.60.

    She assured the forum that the NSC was better empowered to assist states to export their products and repositioned to adequately regulate the ports sector to make exporters get better rewards for their sweat.

    Mrs. Ezedinma pledged the council’s readiness to fully actualise the mandate given to it by the Federal Government towards making the nation’s ports the sub-regional hub and Africa’s international logistic centre.

  • We’ll curb excessive charges , says Shippers Council

    The Nigerian Shippers Council has said  it would mitigate the problems of excessive charges and undue  delays  so as to make Nigerian Ports more attractive and efficient.

    The Council’s Director of Inland Transport Service , A. N Makinde made the disclosure yesterday during  a day sensitisation workshop on understanding basic international trade and complaints redress mechanism in export/import trade organised by North West Zone of Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) in Dutse.

    Makinde assured local and international business community that with the effort the Council was making country business-friendly, Nigerian Shippers Council assured international business community its resolve to mitigate undue delay as well as excessive charges at ports terminals.

    He, however, noted  that another biggest challenge confronting business men  was lack of  basic knowledge of international trade terms as well as understanding of complains redress, adding that exporters and importers incur loses due to inadequate knowledge of the trade.

    “We not unaware of other challenges faced by shippers and other stakeholders in the export/Import chain, such as high and excessive charges at the port and terminals.

    “I want assure with the mandate of the council ad port economic regulator we stop at nothing to mitigate these problems.”

    Also in his speech, the Chairman Dala Inland Dry Port Nigeria Limited, Kano, Alhaji Ahmed Rsbi’u said his company which won the concession for operating the Kano dry port in 2003 only waiting for the declaration of the facility, port of origin and destination for the final technical arrangement for  taking off theKano dry port.

    According to him, when the port was put into use trillion of naira was expected to be generated taking cognance of the fact that kano constituted 80 percent of cargo export in the country.

    In her remark, the Zonal Co-ordinator of Northwest  of the NSC, Hajia Karimatu Othman, said her organisation had been interacting with member of Jigawa state business community particularly, those in export/ import business for some years now saying, one of the major impediment identified  to international  trade transaction was lack knowledge of the trade and its guiding terms hence, the decision for the workshop.

    ‘The objective of the seminar is to sensitize importers/exporters and other stakeholders on basic international commercial terms used in international trade as well as to educate shippers on the role of Nigerian Shippers’ Council in complaints handling.”

  • Shippers, NPA to unveil single window at ports

    Shippers, NPA to unveil single window at ports

    To promote trade, the Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC) and the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) will introduce the much-awaited Single Window (SW) platform at the ports to achieve 48-hour cargo clearance next year, it was learnt.

    This is coming against the backdrop of a directive by the Transport Minister, Rotimi Amaechi, to have a single window platform that will integrate all government agencies at the ports.

    “The adoption of the Single Window (SW) platform will strengthen the port industry by boosting efficiency and reducing cost and time which are the major objectives of port concession agreement signed by private terminal operators,” a senior official of the Federal Ministry of Finance (FMoF), who did not want to be named, said.

    SW is used by many countries to facilitate trade at their ports.

    The FMoF official said the adoption of SW would make Nigeria’s ports competitive in the international trade network.

    He urged the Federal Executive Council (FEC) to compel the Nigeria Customs Service and other agencies at the ports to key into the SW platform to facilitate trade and generate more revenue.

    He also urged the National Assembly to back SW with a law.

    The Federal Government, The Nation learnt, will generate additional $800 million annually from the ports and borders, if NSC and NPA introduce the platform.

    The amount that could be generated from the platform, the official said, made the NPA and the NSC to champion the introduction of the Single Window platform.

    The official identified sharp practices and charges for services not rendered as factors militating against the single window and 48-hour clearance, urging the ministers of Transport and Finance to address the problem.

    “We are aware that NPA and NSC are not happy over the past failure of 48-hour cargo clearance policy. Apart for the fact that the delays experienced in cargo clearance disrupted the production schedules of manufacturers as raw materials are not delivered in good time to their factories, they affected their revenue and were responsible for high level of corruption at the port as importers struggled to clear their cargoes under harsh conditions. This, again exacerbate inflation as goods were not quickly cleared from the port to meet relevant needs in the economy and that is why the need for the single window is imperative.

    Speaking with The Nation in his office on Friday, Belo said the single window is a laudable initiative, which a country like Nigeria ought to embrace to transform the ports.

    He said the platform would enhance trade competitiveness through improvement in import, export, transit procedures and information sharing system.

    The facility, he said, would ensure that there is a paperless Customs declaration, compliance and online approval.

    The current 100 per cent physical examination of goods, according to him, would be reduced and all government agencies at ports integrated.

    Bello added: “The single window facility will also need to be supported by legislation from the National Assembly.”

    “The National Single Window is the ultimate in port operation. But it must be multi-agencies integrated for it to be successful. The port is a transit point and our ports must be seen and used as such. That is why we have dry ports across the country to decongest the port and NPA as the landlord must have a say.”

    NPA’s General Manager, Public Affairs, Chief Michael Ajayi, said the Federal Government needed to have the political will to introduce a single window platform to reduce costs and increase the compliance level of importers and exporters.

    He said it was part of measures to be undertaken by the NPA to achieve the 48-hour cargo clearance early next year.

    “The benefits are immense, because on a micro level, it will boost the competitive advantage of our ports and its traders on the international markets while increasing government’s revenue, boost foreign direct investment, introduce simpler, faster clearance, and release processes,” he said.

    Government’s attention on the single window, Ajayi said, should be focused on the following:

    • reducing time and cost of doing business at ports;
    • simplification and automation of ports operations; and
    • reduction of the human interface and increased transparency among others.
  • Shippers, agents urge 70% duty review

    Shippers, agents urge 70% duty review

    As we enter the last four months of the year, the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to review the automotive policy, which imposes 70 per cent levy on imported vehicles, to stop cargo diversion to ports of neighbouring countries.

    Since the enactment of the policy, Nigerians were yet to witness the mass production of made-in-Nigeria vehicles, the group said. The  levy was introduced by the Jonathan administration to support the local industry.

    ANLCA President Prince Olayiwola  Shittu said the 35 per cent duty imposed on used vehicles is obnoxious, urging President Buhari to review the policy. The policy, he said, had rendered the RoRo terminal  useless because it had  increased the costs of doing business and encouraged diversion of cargoes to neighbouring countries’ ports, thus, leading to loss in government’s revenue.

    “The Federal Government needs to review the auto policy and make the port attractive for business. The maritime sector is confronted with many problems that need to be addressed to boost trade and generate employment,” he said.

  • Shippers to Fed Govt: pay attention to port infrastructure

    Shippers to Fed Govt: pay attention to port infrastructure

    The Shippers’ Association of Lagos State (SALS) has urged the Federal Government to pay more attention to port infrastructure.

    The government, the group said, should position the ports to meet international best practices.

    Its President, Mr Jonathan Nicol,  gave the charge in a chat with The Nation at the Shippers’ Day and exhibition organised by the group.

    He called for the resuscitation of the informal sector of cargo management.

    According to him, the informal sector will contribute about 45 per cent of the total cargo throughput (imports and exports). He said  there was need to rebuild the dead infrastructure at the ports to enable individuals in the sector to assist in nation-building.

    The Nigeria Customs Service’s Comptroller-General Colonel Hameed Alli (rtd), who was represented by the Zonal Coordinator Zone ‘A’, Charles Edike, praised the group for organising the event, saying that despite the low import caused by the falling of the naira, the Customs revenue collection has continued to increase.

    The Customs boss said without members of the group, there would be no cargo at the port and Customs revenue would be dwindling.

    The Customs boss urged the shippers and importers not to be discouraged by the downturn in the  economy, saying that the country is undergoing reforms and that trade will pick up soonest.

    “Before now, there was a lull in importation, but even at that, the revenue is increasing. We expect that when there is no importation, revenues should fall but rather it is increasing and this is because of your good works.

    “If shippers do not carry the cargo, there is nothing for Customs to collect revenue from. I understand the challenges you are facing now, but don’t be afraid, match on. Things may be hard today, but tomorrow will be better,” he said.

    The Executive Secretary, Nigerian Shippers Council, Mr Hassan Bello, who was represented by Mrs Okam Ada, advised members of the group to export, especially non-oil exports.

    Bello said so far, 27 shippers associations have been established across the country. He said these associations are formidable bodies for cargo protection.

    “Shippers should endeavour to channel efforts into exportation of value-adding non-oil exports to generate revenue.

    “The Council is still committed to protecting the cargo interest of Nigeria and also enjoined you to remain compliant to both national and international rules guiding global trade practices.

    “The SALS have been very active. I must commend them for their doggedness and laudable ideas and I hope they continue,” Bello said.

    Also, a maritime lawyer, Mr Osuala Nwagbara, said there was the need for operators to embrace maritime arbitration to resolve issues which emanated from their business.

    He said arbitrators had been in existence for more than 10 years, adding that the arbitrators had assisted several port operators to solve maritime disputes.

    “We are dedicating a week in May to offer free services in solving disputes in the maritime industry,’’ he said.

     

  • Shippers’ Council begins cargo tracking

    Shippers’ Council begins cargo tracking

    Determined to check sharp practices, the Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC) has opted for International Cargo Tracking Note (ICTN) with a yearly revenue target of about N17,238,054,156.84 ($87,060,879.58).

    The new tracking policy, which will also assist the nation to ascertain goods being brought into the country, will be implemented in collaboration with Messrs Transport and Port Management System (TPMS) Nigeria Limited.

    The document reads : “Based on the 2014 NPA operational cargo throughput (statistics), the sum of N17,238,054,156.84 ($87,060,879.58) is estimated to be the ICTN scheme proceeds to be generated at the current rate of the scheme’s applicable token administrative fee for different cargo types.

    “All Cargoes destined for or departing from Nigerian Ports (Import/Export/Transit) shall obtain from Nigerian Shippers’ Council an Entry Summary Number (ENS) – in case of import to Nigeria – or an Exit Summary Number (EXS) – in case of Export departing from Nigeria. The ENS or EXS must show on the Bill of Lading and final manifest of the vessel.

    “The shipper of the cargo is the person responsible for the declaration procedure in advance with information relating to the cargo. The procedure must ensure that the said declaration is correctly made.

    “In the case of a Chartered vessel, the Advanced Cargo Declaration (ACD) shall be completed by the Chartered who issues the Bill of Lading and not by the company owning the vessel.”

    The breakdown of the projected revenue is as follows: Containerised Cargo (N5,263, 731,000); Ro-Ro Cargo (N491, 047,920:00); General  Cargo   (N5,736,444,912:00); Bulk Cargo (N2,282,225,580:36) and Crude Oil Export (N3,464, 604,744.48).

    The Ministry of Transport on May 14 conveyed a presidential approval for the ICTN to the Nigerian Shippers Council(NSC), the scheme is yet to take effect.

    The document said: “Please recall that following the presidential approval to the Federal Ministry of Transport (FMOT) for the re-introduction of the International Cargo Tracking Note (ICTN) scheme and the implementation of the scheme by Nigerian Shippers’ Council – being the Interim Economic Regulator of the port sector in Nigeria, as conveyed to the council by the Director (Maritime Services) vide a letter Ref. T.0160/S.30/T4C dated 14th May, 2015, the Hon. Minister of Transport, in line with the presidential approval, requested Nigerian Shippers’ Council to work out/negotiate the Terms and conditions of the implementation contract of the scheme with Messrs Transport and Port Management System (TPMS) Nigeria Limited, as the technical implementation agents, and enter into an agreement with them in that regard.

    “Accordingly, I wish to report that the Council has meticulously negotiated and executed an agreement with TPMS Nigeria Limited.

    “A copy of the Agreement is hereby attached for information and record. As a first towards consummating the Agreement, the web based IT platform for the implementation of the ICTN scheme was rolled out by TPMS Nigeria Limited on Wednesday 29th July, 2015. The platform can be accessed, for guidance on compliance procedure and for general information, through the internet site www.acdnigeria.com.

    The document expalined how the new ICTN is different from the old ways of monitoring cargoes.

    It claimed that the ICTN has four distinct features from the previous tracking device.

    It added: “It is noteworthy that, as can be seen from the agreement, four important features distinguish the current ICTN Scheme from the abolished version. These are:

    • The current scheme will be implemented at no cost to the shipper/consignee, at all.  The current scheme is web based and therefore paperless. Thus the delay associated with obtaining Cargo Tracking Note and associated documentation by Shippers, under the abolished version of the scheme, is completely eliminated as the shipper needs not do anything apart from declaring in advance (i.e. at the loading port), information relating to the cargo.
    • The one hundred and fifty dollars ($150) per container CTN fee charged under the abolished version, paid by the shippers, which led to the stakeholders vehement protest against the scheme and its eventual abolishment was radically modified and reduced to a token administrative fee of twenty five dollars ($25) per container thereby making it the lowest in our West and Central African Sub-region. This became necessary not only in view of Nigeria’s volume of trade but also to substantially downplay the insinuated revenue generation motive of the old version of the scheme in favour of the actual and more important Trader Information Generation motive which has tremendous potential to impact positively on the nation’s effort in Trade Facilitation, National Planning and National Security;
    • The NSC-TPMS Sharing Ration of the collectible Administrative fee was negotiated and reviewed from 60-40, under the abolished scheme, to 65-35 thereby raising the share accruable to the government.
    • All vessels loading and unloading or in transit (Export/Import and Transit) departing from Nigeria Ports or having Nigerian Ports as final destination or transiting through Nigerian ports shall, before any movement, obtain a Movement Reference Number (MRN). The MRN will be allocated to the vessels by Nigerian Shippers’ Council irrespective of the origin of the vessel of cargoes.