Ex NSC Boss, Hassan Bello To Chair Primetime Reporters 10th Anniversary/Lecture

BY FUNMI ALUKO

Nigeria’s undisputed apostle of ports development and former Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) Barr. Hassan Bello is billed to chair the Primetime Reporters 10th Year Anniversary, Lecture and Awards ceremony holding in Lagos on December 4, 2024.

The event scheduled to hold at the prestigious Welcome Centre & Hotels located along Airport Road, Ikeja, Lagos is titled, “Leveraging Technology To Maximize The Potential Of Nigeria’s Blue Economy.”

Barr. Hassan Bello, a graduate of the prestigious Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1982. He was State Counsel in the Ministry of Justice, Sokoto, and later on, Legal Adviser/Company Secretary to Sokoto Investments Company Limited.

Bello was the Deputy Director and Head of the Legal Department of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council and later became the Executive Secretary/CEO of the Council. He is a barrister with over three (3) decades of experience in Shipping and Maritime Law.

He has been accredited with the formulation, execution, superintending, interfacing, and implementation of strategies that transformed the Nigerian Shippers’ Council as the economic regulator of the Nigerian Ports Industry.

Hassan was also responsible for the digitalization of port operations, as well as the establishment of inland dry ports, river port linkages and creating an enabling environment for hinterland connectivity with a focus on enhancing transportation infrastructure.

Regarded as one of the most passionate advocate for the development of Nigeria’s port, he supervised the implementation of the country’s multi-modal transportation systems and automation processes to optimize port efficiency.

He is a Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Shipping; Fellow, International Dispute Resolution Institute; Fellow, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators; and a member of the Nigerian institute of Management.

Vast in Regulatory Framework and Enforcement, Carriage of Goods, Litigation, and Arbitration, Hassan Bello is the lead consultant to the Dala Inland Dry Port.

He is currently the Principal Partner of JUSTICIA LEGAL PRACTITIONERS, a firm of nine lawyers and associates. He is also a lead consultant in the consultant firm of JUSTICIA CONSULTS and Chairman, Board of Directors of ASIRDA DEVELOPMENT COMPANY LIMITED.

Speaking on the choice of Bello as the Chairman of the occasion, the Managing Director/Editor-in-chief of Primetime Reporters, Saint Augustine Nwadinamuo said his achievements in public and private sectors makes him an attractive brand that industry stakeholders would wish to listen to.

“Hassan Bello has through a dint of hard work, endeared himself to many Nigerians across tribal, political and religious lines. He is a man loved by all who has come across him. He has a towering personality, one who is dedicated in all he is set out to do. He strives for excellence at all times.

“We deliberately chose him as against many other eminently qualified Nigerians because we want to make a statement with this event and I am proud to tell you that we have started reaping the gains of choosing him for this task since our invitation cards went into circulation. I bet you the support we have been getting from our invitees and other stakeholders has been massive and we are grateful to God for the wisdom in choosing him”, Nwadinamuo said.

He said the event is open to all port users and industry players, government agencies, operators and indeed, to all Nigerians.