Business
Trans-Border Trade Setback: Shippers’ Council Pledges Support For ITC

The Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) has expressed readiness to support the International Trade Centre (ITC) as part of measures toward resolving challenges faced by trans-border traders and trade facilitation.
Executive Secretary, Nigerian Shippers’ Council, Barr. Pius Akutah, disclosed this in Lagos last Friday, when delegates of ITC, paid a working visit on a fact finding mission.
While harping on the role of the Council as an ombudsmen in port operations, Akutah emphasized that trade facilitation is a major initiative of the NSC, pledging to provide the necessary support to ensure the success of the study brought forward by the ITC team.
He noted that the study will strengthen the Council’s ability to formalize informal trade at border areas, gather statistics, and plan for trade volumes.
Akutah stated that the focus of the study is on agricultural products, as a significant area of potential for Nigeria, not only in the African region, but also globally.
He expressed optimism that the study will help develop skills and improve operations at the Border Information Centre (BIC) managed by the Council.
“Trade facilitation is one of the major aspect of what we do so we are going to give you the necessary support to achieve the success that is desired.
“The study will help us to plan and develop more skills in terms of what we do at the Border Information Centre. Shippers Council is a partner and I want us to take our partnership to the next level that will focus on engagement with our stakeholders”, Akutah noted.
Speaking earlier during the courtesy visit to the NSC headquarters, Associate Programme Officer, ITC, Richard Eke- Metoho, who led the delegation, said the visit to the Council was part of the team’s ongoing study to identify areas for improvement in trade facilitation, particularly at border crossing points.
He stated the importance of collecting data from the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, which manages a border information center at Seme-Krake border.
According to him, some of the identified challenges faced by traders and truck drivers using the Seme-Krake border, a key trade route is the number of checkpoints and lack of scanners.
He said information collected by the team will not only identify existing trade facilitation measures that are working effectively, but also lead to the development of new trade facilitation measures that address the challenges faced by traders
He said, “We are here to collect experience from the Nigerian Shippers Council.
“From our interactions with the Shippers Council, we keep finding similar problem faced by traders, most especially on the number of checkpoints and scanners that are really needed especially for transporters and truck drivers.
“It is still an ongoing study. The more information we collect right now, the more it will help us to make more informed decision process. At the end of the study, we will be able to develop a report that will pinpoint all the main obstacles that traders are facing”.
Business
Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons
Kenya made it a clean sweep at the Berlin Marathon with Sabastian Sawe winning the men’s race and Rosemary Wanjiru triumphing in the women’s.
Sawe finished in two hours, two minutes and 16 seconds to make it three wins in his first three marathons.
The 30-year-old, who was victorious at this year’s London Marathon, set a sizzling pace as he left the field behind and ran much of the race surrounded only by his pacesetters.
Japan’s Akasaki Akira came second after a powerful latter half of the race, finishing almost four minutes behind Sawe, while Ethiopia’s Chimdessa Debele followed in third.
“I did my best and I am happy for this performance,” said Sawe.
“I am so happy for this year. I felt well but you cannot change the weather. Next year will be better.”
Sawe had Kelvin Kiptum’s 2023 world record of 2:00:35 in his sights when he reached halfway in 1:00:12, but faded towards the end.
In the women’s race, Wanjiru sped away from the lead pack after 25 kilometers before finishing in 2:21:05.
Ethiopia’s Dera Dida followed three seconds behind Wanjiru, with Azmera Gebru, also of Ethiopia, coming third in 2:21:29.
Wanjiru’s time was 12 minutes slower than compatriot Ruth Chepng’etich’s world record of 2:09:56, which she set in Chicago in 2024.
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