By Sylvanus OBASI
The Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), Dr. Akutah Pius MON, has stated that Nigeria has no business being listed in a war risk zone and consequently mandated to pay insurance premiums
Akutah made this assertion while receiving a delegation from Maritime Reporters’ Association of Nigeria (MARAN) on Thursday at the NSC headquarters.
“Does Nigeria have any business being in the war risk zone?” he queried, referencing the absence of terrorist attacks in Nigerian waters in the past three years.
He however thanked the journalist group for its consistent commitment to reforms and cost-reduction efforts in the nation’s maritime sector.
Speaking on the upcoming MARAN Annual Maritime Lecture (MAMAL) 2025, Akutah described the event’s theme: “Addressing the Burden of War Risk Insurance on Nigerian Maritime Trade” as timely and critical.
Acknowledging the vital roles played by the media in shaping conversations around the nation’s maritime development, he remarked that the Council recognizes and deeply values the contributions of MARAN as one of its partners.
“We are partners and I can tell the contribution your association is bringing to the table. We are very proud of what you are doing,” the NSC boss said.
He lauded the organizers for championing advocacy around the removal of war risk insurance on Nigerian-bound cargo, insisting that the current classification of Nigeria as a war risk zone is unjustified and economically damaging.
Akutah, however, stressed that such misclassification imposes additional, avoidable costs on the Nigerian economy and undermines the competitiveness of the nation’s ports.
According to him, port cost inefficiencies have long been a major source of concern and excessive charges are among the key contributors to Nigeria’s uncompetitive port environment.
He noted that the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, His Excellency Adegboyega Oyetola, is already leading efforts to get Nigeria off the war risk list, but emphasized that advocacy must go beyond government action and involve all categories of industry stakeholders.
“This is how we will develop our sector by being proactive and not only criticising but also bringing solutions to the table,” he stated.
Dr. Akutah pledged that the Nigerian Shippers’ Council will fully participate in the conference, just as it had in previous years even as he expressed personal interest in attending the event due to its relevance to the Council’s core mandate — reducing the cost of doing business at Nigerian ports.
Earlier, the President of MARAN, Mr. Godfrey Bivbere, appreciated the efforts of the regulatory agency in tackling the myriad of challenges at the nation’s ports.
He observed that the Council could also initiate a more holistic approach to eliminating the burden of WRI by engaging the United African Shippers’ Council (UASC) and Global Shippers Forum (GSF) to end the menace.
