- Stakeholders outline flaws, propose solutions as maritime industry hosts Mobereola
The Director General of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dayo Mobereola, has promised to expedite the full automation of the Nigerian ship registry.
Mobereola made this pledge during his maiden engagement with the nation’s maritime stakeholders in Lagos, on Thursday.
The NIMASA Director General also assured that his leadership would prioritize gender inclusion at the agency and across various aspects of the maritime industry.
His words: “We have to move the industry forward and advance the nation’s goals. We also have to align with the Minister’s objectives for the Blue Economy. My purpose here for today’s occasion is to listen and take note of all the comments. I can assure that all we have shared here will be put into consideration in developing our plans for the next four years.”
“The purpose of NIMASA is to serve the industry and we cannot decide what is good for the industry unless the industry is involved via a joint partnership for us to excel. The automation of the ship registry is some we have talked about and I can assure you that it will happen very quickly.”
While presenting the lead paper titled “Marine and Blue Economy: Navigating to the Promised Land”, Dr. Emeka Akabogu, unbundled the expectations of the players in the maritime industry into Maritime Administration and Shipping Development & Promotion.
“Under Maritime Administration, the industry wants to see that affairs of the sector effectively managed to ensure safe and clean waters, security, organization and to facilitate business in the industry. They want vessels regularly boarded and inspected with breaches identified and sanctioned, licenses readily issued upon satisfaction of requirements, pollution response timely with adequate availability of response equipment, maritime labour easily registered and deployed, international conventions dutifully reviewed, understood, argued on our terms, ratified and domesticated; wreck cleared; they want a ship register that is credible, accessible and efficient, and so much more.”
“On Shipping Development and Promotion, the industry players want to purchase and operate ships with ease, have them employed and active, have cargo readily available for the ships; have market data and information readily available on their screens on the tap of a button, they want access to finance that is transparent, credible and reliable; they want legitimate vessel operations not to be clogged by inexplicable rejection of classification regimes already approved by government, they want shipyards that are functional so they don’t go outside our shores for reliable dry-docking, and so much more; they want a system of cabotage waivers or licenses that is transparent and all-inclusive, they want CVFF and many more,” Akabogu stated.
He equally observed that the NIMASA Act makes provision for a Maritime Fund, which is not regularly referenced, but should support a broad range of industry developmental initiatives beyond ship acquisition.
Earlier, a former Minister of Interior and Chairman of Integrated Oil and Gas, Capt. Emmanuel Ihenacho, admonished the new NIMASA Director General to work closely with the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to pursue relevant conventions addressing safety, marine environment protection, seafarers development, among others.
Ihenacho also fondly recalled his first encounter with the NIMASA Director General in Cardiff over 3 decades ago when the NIMASA boss was during a research on a marine related subject for his doctorate degree.
Also speaking, the President of Nigerian Chamber of Shipping (NCS), Mr. Aminu Umar, lamented that the ship registration process in neighbouring countries like Togo and Ghana are more seamless than Nigeria.
Umar observed that in 30 minutes the entire process for ship registration could be concluded in other climes because the processes are fully digital, thus he encouraged NIMASA to do same.
Noting that the commencement of refining at Dangote Reinery has openned new opportunities for ship owners to partake in the export of refined products as well as importation of crude from other nations, Umar stressed the need to address ship financing challenges for operators.
Meanwhile, the Pioneer Chairman, Board of NIMASA, Dr. Tijjani Ramalan, suggested the esablishment of a National Shipping Line/National Carrier for carriage of crude and refined products
Ramalan also encouraged the new NIMASA leadership to prioritize inter-agency/ inter-ministerial collaboration for integration with the Marine and Blue Economy as well as collaboration with Dangote Group other local refinery owners, indigenous shipowners:
“I suggest exploring the possibility of bringing the critical Nigerian stakeholders in maritime, oil and gas and shipping onboard as a strategic partners in the establishment of the national shipping fleet/national carrier. Their expertise and resources can significantly contribute to the success and viability of this initiative as part of the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu,” Ramalan said.
Ramalan, who is also current Chairman, Board of Trustees for National Seaferers Welfare Board of Nigeria, presided over the launch of the Reviewed Minimum Standards for the Nigerian Seafarers (2023-2025) which also took place at the occasion.
The event was graced by a wide array of maritime bigwigs including some former Director Generals of NIMASA like; Arch. Ferdinand Agu, Alhaji Tijani Ramalan, Dr. Ade Dosunmu, Barr. Temisan Omatseye; Lagos State Commissioner for Transportation, Dr. Frederic Oladeinde; Chairman, Seaport Terminal Operators Association of Nigeria (STOAN), Princess Vicky Haastrup; Principal Partner, Jean-Chiazor and Partners, Mrs. Jean Chiazor Anishere (SAN); former President, Ship Owners Association of Nigeria (SOAN), Dr. Mkgeorge Onyung.
Other eminent personalities were; President-General, Maritime Worker’s Union of Nigeria (MWUN), Comrade Adewale Adeyanju; President, Nigerian Association of Master Mariners (NAMM), Capt. Tajudeen Alao, President, Association of Marine Engineers and Surveyors (AMES), Engr. Israel Obadan; President, Women’s International Shipping and Trading Association (WISTA) Nigeria, Dr. (Mrs.) Odunayo Ani; President, Women in Maritime Organizations in West and Central Africa (WIMOWCA) Nigerian chapter, Barr. (Mrs.) Tosan Edodo-Emore; President, African Women in Maritime (WIMA) Nigerian chapter, Mrs. Rollens Macfoy; among others.
