Follow Us on Google
By Steve Agbota
Chairman Integrated Oil and Gas Ltd., retired Capt., Emmanuel Ihenacho, has said that Nigeria needs to become a producer of maritime services rather than remain a consumer.
Ihenacho states this at the Maritime and Offshore Award (The OMIS) held in commemoration of the 2022 World Maritime Day in Lagos, said that if Nigeria don’t have its own vessels, then outsiders can come in and say that the much they know about Nigerian trade is piracy and this opens Nigeria as a nation to exploitation.
“We should look at measures to ensure that all of the things we are missing are in place, and this will help us become producers rather than consumers of maritime services,” he said.
Ihenacho, who received the OMIS Lifetime Achievement award added that Nigeria could not continue to be a nation that consumed services produced elsewhere.
He said the country had able bodied people, intellectuals and other resources to buy infrastructure for producing oil and shipping services.
“We should have people at the policy level that should be thinking about these strategies and tell us how to go about it, marshal all these resources so that we will equalise the consumption with production.
“On the consumption side, yes we are using maritime services to the fullest but we should be able to add value to economy output by being able to produce maritime services,” he said.
Also, Dr Ify Akerele, former Director General, Nigerian Chamber of Shipping, said the Nigerian maritime sector was not where it should be but was making progress.
“Awareness is getting out and that is why we are here today. This is a high class selective award, separating the boys from the men, the chaff from the wheat.
“I am one of the judges and I saw the criteria, it was tough. A lot of people pride themselves as maritime operators but they really don’t meet the criteria.
But looking at the nominees, I will tell you that we have come a long way,” she said.
According to Akerele, indigenisation of the sector was of essence, and required patriotism as well as professional.
She said the country had professionals but that most of them worked abroad, hence there was need to open up the shores so that they could come back.
Earlier, Mr Femi Da-Silva, Coordinator of OMIS, said all winners deserved their awards as the most qualified entries were picked based on set criteria.
Other winners are the Niger Benue Transport Company Ltd. who received the OMIS logistics/transport provider of the year, while CMA CGM received that of the shipping company of the year.
