The Executive Secretary and CEO of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), Dr Pius Akutah, has said that the agency promptly launched the Enterprise Content Management System (ECMS) in strict adherence to President Bola Tinubu’s directive.

Dr Akutah made this known in Abuja while fielding questions from journalists who asked why his agency expeditiously implemented the digital platform for the operations of the staff of NSC.

Recall that the Shippers’ Council had on Tuesday launched its ECMS, which is a digital platform aimed at enhancing the country’s maritime administration and promoting efficiency in trade.

The event was attended by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume; the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola; the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Esther Walson-Jack, among many other stakeholders from both public and private sectors of the economy.

Expatiating on what prompted the agency to expeditiously implement the presidential directive to make agencies of government transition to digital operations and go completely paperless, he said that the initiative would digitally empower the regulatory body for efficient service delivery.

He said: “This initiative marks a transformative moment in our institution’s history, as we take a decisive step towards building a paperless, efficient, and digitally empowered regulatory organisation.

Akutah pointed out that the Council was inspired by the directive given by President Tinubu, supported by the encouragement of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation and with the commitment of the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, noting that though the ECMS is an internal work tool for the Council, it would eliminate bottlenecks hampering public institutions.

He said: “Following the directive of Mr President, and as anchored also by the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, and as committed by the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, we realise that the ECMS is a core pillar of our digital transformation agenda. It is an internal workflow and record
management tool, designed to eliminate the delays, manual file movement, and bureaucratic bottlenecks that have long hampered public institutions.

“While it is not targeted at external stakeholders, it is an essential enabler of better service delivery to them. By improving the speed, accountability, and transparency of our internal processes, we are strengthening the foundation of our regulatory role within the maritime and blue economy
sector.”

Speaking further on the usefulness of the digital system, Akutah, who is a lawyer by training, said: “The system provides automated workflows, secure digital approvals, a unified archive of documents, and real-time performance dashboards.

These features will ensure that tasks are executed promptly and monitored, responsibilities are clearly tracked, and information is safeguarded and easily accessible.

Stressing that the unveiling of the ECMS was the Council’s response to President Tinubu’s outright directive to government establishments, the CEO said: “This launch is our response to the Presidential directive and Head of Service mandate for all MDAs to fully digitise administrative operations by the end of 2025.”

Barr. Akutah expressed his excitement that his agency was among the agencies adopting the initiative, saying: “We are proud to be among the early adopters, demonstrating that this transformation is not only possible, but essential”.

While delivering his speech on the day of the launch, the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, described the initiative as a significant milestone in Nigeria’s journey towards a modern and technology-driven maritime sector.

On his part, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Akume, said that the launch was a statement of the Federal Government’s determination to modernize public administration through integrated digital governance.

Adding her voice to the encomiums showered on the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs Didi Esther Walson-Jack, commended the Council, saying that it was the first agency to comply with the presidential directive of going paperless by launching the ECMS.