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By Steve Agbota
The Minister of Transportation, Mu’azu Jaji Sambo, has said he would need the support of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to fast track the establishment of national shipping line. The minister who spoke while receiving the interim report on the need to establish a strong and sustainable national fleet by the Nigerian Fleet Implementation Committee at the Ministry in Abuja, stated that, “Nigeria is a maritime country and if it gets it’s acts together, it will have no business looking for money from the oil sector to boost the GDP.
Speaking on how the project can be immediately realised, he said: “I don’t know whether in the course of the Committee’s consultations with other stakeholders, you were able to have some conversations with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) . If NNPC, can give 100 per cent support, this matter can be closed in two months.
Earlier, the Executive Secretary, Nigerian Shippers’ Council and Chairman, Nigerian Fleet Implementation Committee (NFIC), Emmanuel Jime, said the Committee was constituted by the immediate past Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, to implement the recommendations in the report by an earlier Ministerial Committee on Modalities for the Establishment of a Nigerian Fleet.
Jime who was represented by Managing Director, Sea Transport Group and member, NFIC, Umar Aminu, stated that the initiative was a way of responding to the non participation of Nigerians in the carriage of Nigeria’s international cargo as well as the loss of freight revenue, jobs and other benefits which would otherwise have accrued to the country.
He also said: “In the course of carrying out the mandate, lessons have been learnt and some modest achievements have been recorded. These have been captured in this interim report which we are submitting today. The work is still ongoing and the goal of creating an enabling environment for the growth of sustainable Nigerian fleet will be achieved in due course.
“There were challenges that impeded the quick realisation of the project as earlier envisaged.
Shipping is international and competitive in nature and Nigeria cannot operate in isolation, hence the need for the operating environment to be similar to what obtains elsewhere.
“This has been a major challenge to the growth of the sector in Nigeria. Review of certain trade policies, access to funds and technical/human capacity are issues that need to be resolved,” he said.
