The federal government has announced that the Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC) will transmute to the National Transport Commission.
The Minister of Transportation, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi who disclosed this in an interactive session with journalists in Abuja said once the NTC Bill is signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari, the Nigerian Shippers Council will transmute to the NTC.
"The Law (Bill) converts Nigerian Shippers Council to the National Transport Commission. The law has been passed by both houses of the national assembly and waiting for Mr. President's assent" the minister said.
The Senate on March 16, 2018 passed the National Transport Commission (NTC) Bill. While the House of Representatives followed suit on April 12. The Bill seeks to replace the Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC) with the National Transport Commission (NTC).
The NTC, when operational will address the current state of the transport industry by creating efficient transportation economy well driven by transport intermodalism currently lacking in the transport sector.
Commenting on the NTC, the Executive Secretary, Nigerian Shippers Council, Hassan Bello said, "it is not the shippers' council alone that might constitute the NTC. Other agencies that have expertise in other areas will be co-opted. We will draw from aviation, NPA, railways and others so we can build the desired capacity and competence.
"Even now we have collaborated so well with NIMASA and I have to always thank the DG of NIMASA because he is versatile. We have also collaborated with NIWA and we have also collaborated with the Nigerian Railways, all on economic issues" he noted.
Industry stakeholders unanimously agreed that the NTC will be better executed if the NSC is empowered to execute the mandate.
The NTC is also conceived to be an effective, impartial and independent regulatory authority in the transport sector and to set out the objectives, functions and powers of the commission. It is also to promote the implementation of the National Transport Policy (NTP) when implemented and provide for an efficient economic regulation of the transport sector.
