By Godfrey Bivbere
Director General of the Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Mr. Temisan Omatseye has said that one of the major priorities of the agency is to enhance national manpower capacity in the country, even as he called on other operators to emulate the efforts of LADOL in this regard.

Speaking during a facility visit to the Lagos Deep Offshore Logistic Base, (LADOL) Omatseye said that NIMASA is also committed to train the youths in other to reduce unemployment  in Nigeria.

According to him, LADOL’s decision to embark on ship building and ship repair deserves all the encouragement that it could get.

He said NIMASA will assist Logistic Base in its aspiration to invest in idevelopment of projects that will take the country to greater height.

He regretted that a situation where Nigeria has to send its vessels abroad for repair, noting that such actions are unacceptable.

On Local Content, Omatseye said the Act needs a lot of money to succeed. He said NIMASA is ready to put its money where its effect will be felt by encouraging indigenous firms to promote local capacity.

The NIMASA boss said that LADOL should produce its plan of action as NIMASA is willing to assist, adding that there is the need for significant onshore facility to facility development.

Earlier, Chairman of Ladol, Mr. Ladi Jadesimi said his company is ready to partner with NIMASA for the development of indigenous manpower base. Jadesimi said the target of Ladol is to break into international market.

“NIMASA’s visit is significant because it is of strategic importance to the industry,” Jadesimi said.
The Ladol boss said his company’s next phase is ship repair and ship building. The company is wholly owned by Nigerians, operates an ISPS certified port facility whose quay can accommodate up to six supply vessels and three heavy lift vessels simultaneously.

It will be recalled that Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Engr. Ernest Nwapa recently commended the management of LADOL for its efforts towards the realisation of the Federal government policy on local content.

Nwapa who gave the commendation during a facility inspection of LADOL base in Apapa-Lagos, said the company had demonstrated its readiness to benefit from the Act.

The law which is meant to protect and indigenise as well as develop the nation’s fledging Oil and Gas industry, became necessary following the domination of the sector by foreigners.
The Board was inaugurated shortly after the emergence of the Act to carry out oversight functions on the concerned agencies as well as the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and it has Petroleum Minister Dieziani Alison-Madueke as its Chairperson.

Executive Secretary of the Board, Engr. Nwapa who led two other Deputy-Managers (Engrs. Chijioke Okorie and Ikponmwosa Oviasu  on the facility tour of LADOL base, noted that the promoters of the organisation had done the nation proud with their level of investment.

He said the Nigerian Content Act could not have come at a better time considering that foreign bodies had over the years taken advantage of the low level of indigenous participation in the vast Oil and Gas industry.