Beware of Greeks bearing ships, warns Nigerian cabotage champion
INDIGENOUS shipping in Nigeria has the capacity to generate 100,000 jobs within a year through the strict enforcement of the Cabotage Act, says Ships and Ports Communication CEO Bolaji Akinola.
"If the present leadership of NIMASA [Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency] gets its act right, it has no excuse for not creating at least 100,000 jobs within one year", said Mr Akinola, reported the Lagos Daily Post.
"The first thing is to ensure strict enforcement of the Cabotage Act and that is very clear. Trading on Nigerian coastal waters can only be undertaken by vessels owned by Nigerians," he said.
Mr Akinola decried the rapid increase of coastal shipping in the country, which he said had been monopolised by Greek-owned vessels.
He stressed that the Cabotage Act, which was passed for the purpose of supporting development of indigenous capacity and tonnage in the shipping sector, had failed to achieve its objectives.
"The failure of the act to improve indigenous capacity is due to the lack of implementation by successive leaders of NIMASA.
"If the law is enforced, it will mean that Nigerian owned shipping companies would get jobs and all their vessels lying idle on our shores, will come back to life. This way, employment will be generated."
He called on the new NIMASA director general Dakuku Peterside to use the ship repair fund and Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund to achieve this objective.
But Mr Akinola advised against restarting a national shipping line. "Shipping firms are already on ground; there are so many vessels owned by Nigerians lying fallow on the waters." he said, admitting that many had been abandoned.
INDIGENOUS shipping in Nigeria has the capacity to generate 100,000 jobs within a year through the strict enforcement of the Cabotage Act, says Ships and Ports Communication CEO Bolaji Akinola.
"If the present leadership of NIMASA [Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency] gets its act right, it has no excuse for not creating at least 100,000 jobs within one year", said Mr Akinola, reported the Lagos Daily Post.
"The first thing is to ensure strict enforcement of the Cabotage Act and that is very clear. Trading on Nigerian coastal waters can only be undertaken by vessels owned by Nigerians," he said.
Mr Akinola decried the rapid increase of coastal shipping in the country, which he said had been monopolised by Greek-owned vessels.
He stressed that the Cabotage Act, which was passed for the purpose of supporting development of indigenous capacity and tonnage in the shipping sector, had failed to achieve its objectives.
"The failure of the act to improve indigenous capacity is due to the lack of implementation by successive leaders of NIMASA.
"If the law is enforced, it will mean that Nigerian owned shipping companies would get jobs and all their vessels lying idle on our shores, will come back to life. This way, employment will be generated."
He called on the new NIMASA director general Dakuku Peterside to use the ship repair fund and Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund to achieve this objective.
But Mr Akinola advised against restarting a national shipping line. "Shipping firms are already on ground; there are so many vessels owned by Nigerians lying fallow on the waters." he said, admitting that many had been abandoned.