Nigeria and Tanzania have renewed commitment on working closely to enhance maritime operations and foster regional cooperation. Both countries made this renewal during a courtesy visit by a 19-member delegation from the United Republic of Tanzania to the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) headquarters in Lagos.
The Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer, NSC, Akutah Pius, during the meeting, expressed enthusiasm about the prospects of the bilateral cooperation which aims to boost shipping activities in East Africa.
“The collaboration will focus on technical support, inter-port partnerships, capacity building, and infrastructure sharing, all intended to spur growth in Tanzania’s maritime sector.”
Highlighting Nigeria’s supportive policies for private sector participation in port operations, Akutah commended Tanzania for having intention to include private investors in its shipping industry.
According to him, shipping business must be driven by the private sector because of the enormity of investments therein. He also harped on the importance of transport connectivity in the quest to meet maritime hub under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
The NSC boss explained that the shipping industry, especially in developing countries, must be driven by private investors. Tanzanian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Ambassador Selestine Gervas Kakele, emphasised the intent to learn from Nigeria’s port economic regulatory framework, viewing the NSC as a strategic partner in developing indigenous shipping capabilities.
In his contribution, Deputy Attorney General of Tanzania, Sammel Marco Manene, said Nigeria is one of the prominent countries in West Africa that is doing credibly well in terms of trade.
According to him, Tanzania is trying to see how they can benefit from the geographical location of its country as one of the countries in Africa.
Both sides underscored the importance of sustaining and expanding the robust trade relations between Nigeria and Tanzania, with plans for further engagement and knowledge exchange to drive maritime growth across Africa.
