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Nigeria’s complex maritime ecosystem, where trade facilitation meets regulatory oversight, recently faced a stormy challenge that would have greatly damaged the country’s economy and halted the growth made in trade facilitation in the West African subregion. Freight forwarders, vexed and disagreeing with fresh hikes in freight charges, took the law into their own hands and began a regime of picketing of shipping lines, which effectively shut MSC, without judicial approval, and negatively impacted cargo movements and trade. The development was threatening to ‘kill’ the economy, but for the intervention of the leadership of the Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC), which suspended the hiked charges, restored sensible order and created the platform for further negotiations with stakeholders in the sector.
In stepping forward to restore order, the NSC, through its Executive Secretary, Dr Pius Akutah, showed leadership and demonstrated the Council’s place in acting as the compass guiding progress through turbulent economic waters. Since he was appointed on October 25, 2023, Dr Akutah has demonstrably emerged as a visionary navigator. He inherited an institution that was tasked with safeguarding shippers’ interests, regulating port charges, and promoting fair trade practices.
Akutah’s achievements, which include the comprehensive transformation that has modernised operations at the Council, improved efficiency, and the establishment of the Council as Nigeria’s leading economic regulator in the blue economy, exemplify strong leadership vision and dexterity. This is the reason his management of the recent dispute with freight forwarders over an increase in shipping tariffs, which snowballed into a conflict that led to picketing of major shipping companies, is seen by operators in the sector as yet another demonstration of his exceptional managerial skills and negotiation ability.
Akutah’s transformation of the NSC began with a deliberate emphasis on digital innovation and operational efficiency. This aligns seamlessly with the Federal Government’s agenda for a paperless public service. Upon taking office, he championed the Council’s transition to a fully automated, electronic system for payments and correspondence, eliminating manual bottlenecks that had long plagued administrative processes. This reform not only boosted internal productivity but also fostered transparency and allowed stakeholders to engage with the Council through streamlined online portals. Complementing this was the rollout of a robust registration framework for port service providers and users, which was underpinned by a “know your customer” policy. As a result, unregistered operators faced stringent crackdowns, which have created a reliable database that enhances oversight and compliance.
A flagship achievement under Akutah’s stewardship is the activation and vigorous implementation of the International Cargo Tracking Note (ICTN). With explicit backing from the Federal Government and the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, the ICTN scheme has become a bulwark against cargo concealment, misclassification, under-declaration, and fraudulent invoicing. It has enhanced transparent tracking of imports and exports, and secured the maritime supply chains while saving the country tens of billions of naira through moderated freight rates and optimised logistics. Akutah’s persistent advocacy, including pushing for the Council’s enabling law currently before the National Assembly, has ensured the ICTN’s integration into daily port operations.
Akutah’s transformative vision also extended to port efficiency reforms. He set an ambitious target of slashing cargo clearance times from the longstanding 48 hours to a lean 24 hours through the introduction of an electronic traffic management system and collaboration with terminal operators. This has translated into tangible progress as congestion at key gateways like Apapa and Tin Can Island ports has eased, while trade flow has accelerated. These struck the freight forwarders as progressive, as they lowered demurrage costs for importers and exporters. Akutah has also pushed infrastructure development and the completion of Inland Dry Ports (IDPs) at strategic locations across the country. Working hand-in-glove with state governments, such as Plateau State for accelerated IDP rollout and Ogun State for complementary logistics hubs, he has advanced ancillary projects including Vehicle Transit Areas (VTAs), Border Information Centres (BICs), and the Sea Link initiative.
It is against this backdrop of steady transformation that Akutah’s handling of the recent tariff disagreement with freight forwarders stands out as a masterclass in crisis management and proactive leadership. In March 2026, several international shipping lines, including Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), Niger Shipping Company, and Pacific International Lines, implemented approved upward adjustments in service charges. The hikes, which the operators said had become necessary as partial offsets for rising port costs, regulatory compliance, and economic pressures, were said to be the outcome of nearly two years of regulatory review and scrutiny by the government. However, freight forwarders and clearing agents, represented by groups such as the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), perceived the increments as untimely, burdensome, and likely to inflate logistics expenses for importers and exporters.
As a consequence, tensions boiled over! Coordinated protests erupted in Apapa, with agents picketing shipping company offices, shutting down operations, and vowing to sustain the action until a full reversal. The standoff created the possibility of port disruptions, supply chain paralysis, and economic ripple effects at a time when Nigeria was striving to bolster trade volumes in the face of rising global economic costs amid heightened tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic shipping lane that threatened global shipping routes. Dr Akutah’s managerial acumen in navigating the situation shone brilliantly. He eschewed confrontation or delay in his response. Consequently, the ‘warring’ freight forwarders saw the Council as an impartial facilitator of dialogue, a most effective, humane, and productive mechanism for resolution. In his public statement addressing the disturbance, Akutah appealed directly to freight forwarders to shun industrial actions that could undermine national economic stability. He also ‘lectured’ them on the implications of a prolonged port dispute on the economy and trade flows. In all his interactions with the ‘angry’ freight forwarders, Akutah emphasised that dialogue remains the more constructive way to address disputes.
Leveraging institutional memory and his negotiation prowess, Akutah referenced a prior successful intervention some weeks earlier. During an initial flare-up over the same tariffs, the Council had compelled MSC to suspend disputed charges for two full days. This created space for meaningful talks and averted escalation. This precedent illustrated his strategic foresight and his use of regulatory leverage not to impose but to mediate. Building on it, Akutah directed intensive behind-the-scenes engagements with shipping lines, forwarders, and internal experts. He urged operators to prioritise dialogue with clearing agents, reinforcing the Council’s role in balancing interests as a listening organisation. The result was swift and decisive: last Friday, March 20, 2026, the NSC issued a directive suspending implementation of the new tariffs across all lines. Operators were asked to revert to the prior price regime immediately, pending a comprehensive stakeholder consultation and a fresh regulatory review to safeguard fair competition, transparency, and sectoral stability. This intervention de-escalated the picketing, restored operations, and prevented the economic haemorrhage that prolonged protests would have inflicted. That was a demonstration of mastery of the art of crisis management.
A review of Akutah’s approach would show expertise in applying textbook managerial acumen. First, he demonstrated empathetic listening by validating the freight forwarders’ concerns without alienating shipping firms who are facing cost pressures. Second, his decisive suspension order showcased bold regulatory authority tempered by prudence, not as capitulation, but as a bridge to building sustainable consensus. Third, his emphasis on dialogue reflected sophisticated negotiation skills honed through years in international legal cooperation across continents. Using these skills, Akutah created a breather for all parties and turned potential chaos into a structured process. Freight forwarders are the ultimate beneficiaries of the pause as it protects their viability; shipping lines retained a pathway for justified adjustments post-review; and the broader economy avoided disruption. His leadership has cultivated an environment where disputes are opportunities for refinement rather than rupture. This enhances Nigeria’s attractiveness as a maritime hub and aligns with continental aspirations under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
