Akume, Oyetola Unveil Nigerian Shippers’ Council ECMS, Advancing Maritime Digital Transformation

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, alongside the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Dr Adegboyega Oyetola, has officially launched the Nigerian Shippers’ Council’s Enterprise Content Management System (ECMS) on 9th November,2025 in Abuja.

In a press release signed by the Special Adviser to the Honourable Minister Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy , Dr Bolaji Akinola , the event attended by top government officials including the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs Didi Walson-Jack, signalled the Federal Government’s commitment to modernising public service operations and strengthening Nigeria’s competitiveness in global trade.

Senator Akume praised the Minister’s leadership, highlighting Nigeria’s recent election into Category C of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Council as a reflection of the country’s growing international maritime profile. He emphasised that the ECMS would enhance efficiency, reduce bureaucratic delays, and promote transparency and accountability across government institutions.

Describing the launch as a milestone, Dr Oyetola noted that digital transformation is central to repositioning Nigeria as a competitive maritime nation. “The ECMS will streamline internal workflows, improve service delivery, and strengthen regulatory effectiveness, while supporting broader sector reforms,” he said. He added that automated workflows, secure approvals, real-time task tracking, and centralised information management would drastically reduce turnaround times and boost port performance.

The Minister also highlighted ongoing reforms, including the clearance of the long standing Apapa gridlock, approval of a comprehensive port modernisation programme, and the establishment of Inland Dry Ports across all geopolitical zones to stimulate trade and deepen economic inclusion.

Mrs Didi Walson-Jack, in her keynote address, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to a fully digital and paperless administrative structure by the end of 2025. She praised the Nigerian Shippers’ Council for leading by example in adopting digital records management and described the ECMS as a clear demonstration of institutional readiness for future governance.

Executive Secretary and CEO of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, Dr Akutah Pius Ukeyima, Dr Akutah Pius Ukeyima, Executive Secretary and CEO of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, described the ECMS as a transformative tool and a core pillar of the Council’s digitalisation agenda. He explained that the system was designed to eliminate delays, manual file movement, and administrative bottlenecks that have long hindered public institutions.

He also stressed that the platform is a direct response to the Federal Government’s digital mandate and urged staff to embrace it as their new operational environment, describing it as essential for sustaining a modern, paperless, and efficient regulatory institution.

The launch drew representatives from government, organised private sectors, and key maritime stakeholders, marking a collective step toward a modern, efficient, and technology driven maritime administration in Nigeria.