Former President, Goodluck Jonathan, has decried the absence of a thorough investigation into the factors that led to the collapse of the defunct Nigerian National Shipping Line (NNSL) and the 27 vessels.

He said the failure of the defunct of the national carriers and the 27 vessels remains one of the country’s unresolved economic questions, noting that during his tenure in office, attempts to probe the circumstances surrounding the shipping line’s decline were stalled due to resistance from vested interests.

Jonathan stated this on Monda at the International Deep Seaport Investment Forum held in Lagos.

He recalled discussions with stakeholders, including elder statesman, Bode George, on the issue, stating that “There has never been a proper investigation into why these national enterprises went down.”

Jonathan stressed that preliminary accounts suggested that Nigeria may have taken costly strategic missteps during a critical transition period in global shipping.

According to him, while the world was shifting from conventional cargo handling to containerised shipping and deeper-draft vessels, Nigeria invested heavily in 27 outdated vessels that were being phased out internationally.

Recall that in 1959, NNSL started with three vessels and then grew to nine vessels by 1966. In 1980, NNSL had 27 ships, which later reduced to 14 ships by 1989. NNSL was later liquidated in 1995, NNSL and its 21 vessels were sold.

The former president explained that this mismatch between investment decisions and global industry trends may have significantly weakened the viability of the national carrier, ultimately contributing to its collapse.

He cautioned that, although, the account was not fully verified, it points to deeper structural and policy failures that must be examined to avoid repeating similar mistakes.

Jonathan warned that the lessons from the collapse of the national shipping line remain highly relevant as Nigeria seeks to reposition its maritime sector, particularly in the face of evolving global shipping standards.

He advocated for renewed efforts to critically assess past decisions and ensure that future investments in maritime infrastructure and operations are aligned with global realities.

Jonathan noted that without such reflection, Nigeria risks once again falling behind in international shipping, with potential consequences for trade competitiveness and economic growth, especially as cargo are being transhippped from neighbouring countries.