The Association of Shipbrokers and Consultants (ASBC) has joined the league of maritime trade groups with a view to standardizing the modus operandi of the ship brokerage sub-sector of the maritime industry.

Disclosing in Lagos recently, the President of the group Mr. Lucky Ideheren said that one of the major that one the problems militating against the business of brokerage has been the absence of   professionals.

He stated that one of  objectives of  establishing the  association is to bridge the gap between ship owners,operators, Government agencies, charterers and brokers and promote local content in the marine industry and support legislations and advocacies.

The group according to him will also collaborate with various institutions and agencies with regards to training and capacity development and eliminate the activities of quacks.

He noted that the association can help to strengthen government’s policies and implementing those policies to the benefits of ship owners, end users of shipping services and the economy of the nation.

He said “What we intend to do is collaborate with some institutions that provides training for instance, the Federal University of Technology in Owerri has a maritime department that seem to me the best around right now, we want to able to do training and re-training.

“The Maritime Academy in Oron we are aware is not properly funded and I think there is need for some universities to embark on degree awarding programmes..

“We understand that the industry is saturated with foreigners, given the Cabotage Act of 2004 which is struggling to come fully into force, we agree that this association can help strenghten the local to  find jobs for the few vessels they have.

“There seem to be a wide gap between the vessel owners and the broker that is because there is no awareness on the part of the ship owners”.