Expert advocates policy implementation mechanism to achieve maritime growth

President of the Women’s International Shipping and Trading Association Nigeria (WISTA-NIG.), Jean Chiazor-Anishere, has said the nation’s maritime sector can only witness exponential growth if a strong implementation mechanism of policies.

She stated this during a national discourse organised in Lagos and themed, ‘The Place of Maritime/ Transport in the Economy of Nations – The Nigerian Experience’.

Chiazor-Anishere, who delivered a paper titled: ‘Maritime Operations: Issues and Challenges in Nigeria’, said the sector has, overtime, seen various policies such as, the port concession reforms, truck standardisation, Cabotage law, Maritime Safety Laws and others, which are aimed at stimulating growth.

According to the WISTA-NIG president, while some of these policies have catapulted the industry to its next growth, more policies/reforms and most importantly a strong implementation mechanism is still desired.

She said Nigeria is yet to take its rightful place in the comity of maritime nations, because foreign-owned ships and expatriate currently dominate its inland and international shipping business, leaving very little to indigenous vessels and seafarers, despite the existence of Coastal and Inland Shipping (Cabotage) Act as well as Local Content Act.

Chiazor-Anishere, who served as a Maritime Legal Consultant to the House of Representatives, Committee on Marine Transport on International Conventions, said these acts were enacted to restrict use of foreign vessels to trade in and out of Nigeria and promote the development of indigenous tonnage for job creation.

She noted that over the years, the Nigerian economy has lost billions of dollars as freight cost is paid on import and export cargoes to foreign-owned ships.

According to her, while many Nigerian seafarers roam the streets without well-paid employment, young cadets that want to take up careers in shipping find it difficult to get onboard training.

She also pointed out that maritime operations in Nigeria have been facing several challenges associated with the advancement in maritime technological and operational strategy.

According to her, the current technological advancement puts Nigeria at a disadvantaged point, which has little or no contribution to the development of maritime technological advancement globally.

“In the absence of protective policy, countries have to accelerate efforts to ensure that their port attracts cargoes to remain competitive.

“Some ports in the developing countries are protected by a policy that makes them attractive to cargoes that are destined for their region. In developed countries, the unemployment rate is not as high as the developing ones, such as Nigeria. The developed countries can afford to automate the port operations, as maritime activity is one of the biggest employers of labour in many countries.

“Of course, the advanced countries can afford automation of their port operations because they are more objective in their approach to things, which is why they make all efforts to ensure that their operations are efficiently and effectively managed rather than being politically or sentimentally driven,” she stated.