The Nigerian Shippers’ Council has been commended by the Head of Service of the Federation for being the first government agency to comply with the presidential directive on digitalisation of government establishments in the country.
The Head of Service of the Federation, Mrs Didi Walson-Jack, gave the commendation at the unveiling of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council Enterprise Content Management System (ECMS) launch in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital city.
Mrs Walson-Jack said the future of trade facilitation, regulation, safety and competitiveness and the Nigerian Shippers Council is taking the lead.
She noted that the timeline given to all ministries, departments and agencies on digital migration is sacrosanct.
“The future of the marine and blue economy is digital. The future of public service administration is digital. The future of trade facilitation, regulatory efficiency, safety, competitiveness, and revenue optimisation is unquestionably digital. This is the global truth, and the Nigerian Shapers Council, under your current leadership, Honourable Minister, has taken a decisive step to secure that future.
“Digital innovation is no longer a luxury reserved for advanced economies. It is a defining infrastructure of national growth. It is the single most powerful equaliser available to developing nations, enabling them to leapfrog traditional constraints and embrace efficiency, transparency, and accountability.
“In the public service, we are moving decisively in this direction through the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan 2021-2025. Incidentally, that plan comes to an end this year, and therefore, the timeline given for all ministries and extra-ministerial departments to go paperless remains sacrosanct,” she added.
While emphasising the efficiency of digital operations, Mrs. Walson-Jack said with the launch of the ECMS, the Nigerian Shippers Council has proven to investors that it is ready to run at global speed.
“Without digital systems, port operations become inefficient. Without digital systems, compliance becomes porous. Without digital systems, revenue is weak. Internal revenue becomes weak. And without digital systems, competitiveness declines. The launch of the ECMS today is not simply a technological deployment.
“It is a declaration that Nigeria will no longer tolerate inefficiencies that hinder growth. It is a statement to investors and maritime operators that the Nigerian Shippers’ Council is ready to run at the speed of global relevance.”
ECMS Tool
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, emphasised that the ECMS is a sophisticated tool designed to eliminate the kind of delays experienced with paper-based processes.
“Let me emphasise an important point: the ECMS is not an external-facing service platform. Rather, it is a sophisticated internal tool designed to eliminate the inefficiencies, delays, and opacity that often accompany paper-based processes and manual workflows. By strengthening internal coordination, documentation integrity, and operational transparency, the system will greatly enhance the Council’s overall regulatory effectiveness and the quality of service ultimately delivered to stakeholders.”
He added that the ECMS will ensure accountability and enable the Council to reflect global practices and respond to industry challenges fast.
“The system’s audit trails, secure approval processes, workflow automation, and centralised document repository reflect global best practices. These features will ensure greater accountability, reduce discretionary bottlenecks, and enable the Council to respond to industry challenges with speed and precision.”
The digital migration of the Nigerian Shippers Council is seen as a move to optimise smooth operations in the agency and also guarantee maximum service to the general public.