The Chairman, Starzs Investments Company Limited, Greg Ogbeifun, has said Nigeria cannot participate and succeed in the marine and blue economy without re-establishing if there is no national fleet that trades globally.
He said the call for enhancing the shipping sector for decades is gradually getting frustrating with no attention paid to keeping this very important sector of the economy alive.
Ogbeifun said owning a national shipping line must not be solely public sector driven, but could be a public-private partnership limited initiative, which should go global if the country must participate successfully in the marine and blue economy.
He called for a revisit to the various proposed initiatives made and taken to reestablish some fleets for the new government to see how to deal with those impediments.
“The former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, set up a committee because he wanted to reestablish a Nigerian fleet and we came out with various reports. There were recommendations made by the committee, which this current government should go and look at and address. In a matter of months, we will have different entities, private sector operators, which have the means of attracting investments to buy ships that will carry our import and export goods,” he said.
He expressed concern over private entities that have ventured into trading globally, including NLNG which has about 26 LNG ships, whose vessels are registered outside Nigeria.
He said there is an urgency to look at NIMASA and the country’s flag requirements to make it internationally attractive for shipping trade.
The Director, Strategic Planning and Research, the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), Rotimi Anifowose, said the country cannot take full advantage of the marine and blue economy if it does not have an indigenous shipping line to engage in global trade.
“For every time you want the people to go into shipping or encourage shipping in this country, we must tell ourselves how advantaged or disadvantaged we are as a nation. The Shippers’ Council was part of the committee making sure we have a national fleet, but something happened and I know that is on the stretch. We have to maintain and ensure Nigeria becomes a maritime hub,” he said.
On his part, the former Director of Trade and Education, Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN), Dr Alban Igwe, said shipping is a critical element in having a successful blue economy, noting that Nigeria cannot afford to be a dependent country.
He said Nigeria is producing more than some countries that are involved in shipping, stating that Singapore, which is a shipping country, does not produce food.
According to him, Nigeria is the world’s largest producer of beans, cassava, yam and many other foods, noting that it was high time the country promoted its shippers to take full advantage of the blue economy and become a full maritime and shipping nation.
