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By Daniel Adaji
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, and the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Dr Adegboyega Oyetola, on Tuesday unveiled the Nigerian Shippers’ Council’s Enterprise Content Management System (ECMS) in Abuja.
Akume used the occasion to commend Oyetola for the leadership that secured Nigeria’s recent election into Category C of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Council, describing it as an affirmation of the country’s “rising global maritime standing.”
He said the Minister’s direction had been central to the successful rollout of the ECMS, adding that the system would strengthen “transparency, accountability, and digital transformation across the public service.”
The SGF stressed that the system would reduce delays, improve efficiency, and help streamline processes across government institutions.
Speaking on the significance of the launch, Oyetola described the unveiling as “an important milestone in Nigeria’s journey toward a modern and technology-driven maritime administration.”
He noted that digital transformation remains central to the Ministry’s plan to reposition the sector, saying the theme, “Driving the Maritime and Blue Economy Sector through Digital Innovation,” underscores the urgent need to deploy tools that “enhance speed, precision, and institutional performance.”
The Minister explained that although the ECMS is an internal workflow and records management system, its impact will be felt beyond routine administration.
According to him, its automated workflows, secure approvals, and real-time task tracking will “drastically reduce turnaround times, improve port performance, and strengthen Nigeria’s competitiveness in both regional and global markets.”
He also highlighted other reforms taking shape in the sector, including the clearance of the longstanding Apapa gridlock, approval of a comprehensive port modernisation programme, and the establishment of Inland Dry Ports across the six geopolitical zones.
Delivering the keynote address, The Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs Didi Walson-Jack reiterated the Federal Government’s commitment to a fully paperless public service by the end of 2025.
She commended the Shippers’ Council for aligning with the presidential directive on digital records management, describing the ECMS as “a strong demonstration of institutional readiness for the future of governance.”
Welcoming guests earlier, the Executive Secretary and CEO of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, Dr Akutah Pius Ukeyima, called the ECMS a “transformative tool” designed to eliminate administrative bottlenecks such as manual file movement and processing delays.
He said the system would strengthen internal accountability and information security while enhancing the Council’s regulatory effectiveness.
Akutah noted that the launch aligns directly with the Federal Government’s digitalisation agenda, expressing pride that the Council is among the early agencies to fully embrace digital operations. He thanked the Minister, SGF, Head of Service, stakeholders, and internal teams for their support, urging staff to adopt the platform as their “new operational environment.”