.Maritime industry may lose out in $3.4tr AfCFTA market

Stakeholders in the maritime sector have expressed concern that Nigeria may lose out in the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) due to its shipping development capacity index, which they describe as almost nil.

They lamented that the country loses $1 trillion yearly in the shipping sector over lack of vessels, infrastructure, human capacity and cargo carriage.

They disclosed this at the second National Discourse with Distinguished Maritime Personalities (DMPS), organised by Maritime Nigeria in Lagos with the theme, ‘Ships, Ports and the Challenge of Infrastructure, Skill Sets and Tools’.

Chief Executive Officer of Starz Marine and Engineering Limited, Greg Ogbeifun, lamented that government does not recognise shipping in its economic plans, thereby stalling attempts to develop capacity in the country; and that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) depends on Angola to charter ships to move its oil.

He called on the private sector in the shipping sub-sector to establish platforms to help actualise policies of the sector, maintaining that private platforms will aid a refloat the sector and ensure its continuity.

Ogbeifun also expressed fears of possible extinction of master mariners over lack of platforms for cadets’ training.

He maintained that there is no nation that can boast of being a maritime nation without flying its flag globally, and that none can boast of being viable and efficient, maritime-wise, if it does not have an efficient port.

Also, the former Executive Secretary, Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), Hassan Bello, stressed the need for Nigeria to build and design its ports for exports, lamenting that all the ports in the country are not configured for export.

“They are just there to receive. When are we going to start exporting? We either export or we perish. We have to concentrate on the ports. The AfCFTA will favour Nigeria if our port infrastructure is modern and efficient,” he said.

He said the country’s seaports are not ready to participate in the N3.4 trillion AfCFTA market due to inadequate capacity of import and export cargo transportation, human capacity, and lack of smart ports and vessels to trade in the region.

The convener, Kelvin Kagbare, in his opening remarks, bemoaned the country’s leadership vision for youths, saying the maritime and transport sector is not in sync with the speed and efficiencies of modern day international maritime trade.

He urged Nigeria to catch up with peers such as Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines and other Asian tigers in the maritime space.