The Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), Dr. Pius Akutah, has urged the Council’s middle managers to embrace adaptability and continuous learning as key drivers of organisational excellence and growth. Akutah made the call at the 2026 Operational Retreat for officers on Grade Levels 12 to 14 held at Conference Hotel, Abeokuta.
The retreat was themed, “Middle Managers as Catalysts for Excellence and Innovation: Building the Next Generation of Leaders for Institutional Transformation and Sustainable Growth.” Congratulating participants on attaining middle management positions in their careers, Akutah described the retreat as a strategic investment in leadership development, succession planning, institutional capacity building and the future of the Council.
He said middle managers serve as the critical link between policy formulation and implementation, translating strategic objectives into measurable results and ensuring organisational goals are achieved. According to him, they remain the engine room of performance, innovation and transformation, driving execution, supervising teams, managing resources, solving problems and influencing outcomes.
Akutah stressed that middle managers play a pivotal role in delivering key initiatives, including trade facilitation reforms, digital transformation programmes, the National Single Window Project, economic regulatory interventions, cargo protection mechanisms and inland connectivity initiatives.
He urged participants to remain disciplined, innovative, adaptable and results-driven. “The success of these initiatives depends significantly on your commitment and leadership,” he said. He noted that achieving the Council’s 2025–2029 Strategic Plan requires effective execution at the middle-management level.
“It is at your level that plans become programmes, policies become actions and aspirations become achievements. You are therefore expected not only to manage tasks but also to champion change, drive performance, foster collaboration and inspire excellence within your respective departments and units,” he said.
Akutah further emphasised the importance of discipline, innovation, integrity and collaboration, urging managers to break down institutional silos and promote knowledge-sharing across the organisation. “As middle managers, your success will not be measured solely by your personal achievements but also by your ability to develop others.
You must become mentors, coaches and role models for younger officers,” he added.