By Udeme Clement

The Director General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Dr. Dakuku Peterside has said that Nigeria can become the maritime hub in the entire West African sub-region if Public Private Partnership (PPP) model is utilised in providing adequate maritime infrastructure for the sector to thrive. He identified this approach as a necessary step capable of unlocking the vast opportunities in Nigerian maritime industry to enhance optimum productivity.

Peterside said this during the fourth quarter meeting on PPP, organised by Infrastructure Concession and Regulatory Commission (ICRC) in Abuja.

He stressed that given Nigeria’s strategic location, population and volume of trade in the African region, what the country needs to become a major hub of maritime activities is  strategic investment in infrastructure in the maritime industry, which should be championed through a PPP model.

According to him, “the PPP model will be able to address infrastructure deficit and optimise local content development. Partnership with the private sector also has the potential to enhance human capital development and active government participation in a private sector driven economy”.

Dakuku Peterside

Represented by Mr. Ali Indabawa, Director, Abuja Zonal office, the DG pledged NIMASA’s willingness to partner with ICRC in its efforts to ensure infrastructure delivery in the country, especially in the maritime industry and called for improved PPP efforts to provide  needed infrastructure for the development of the nation’s economy.

He stated that NIMASA is already involved in some PPP initiatives in areas such as Maritime safety, search and rescue, maritime domain enhancement, ports and flag state responsibilities, pollution response and prevention, capacity building, ship building and ship repairs, ship breaking and recycling among others.

In his welcome remarks, the Director General of ICRC, Mr. Aminu Dikko said that government should look beyond its budgetary resources for the delivery of infrastructure in the country and explore other funding methods that have become international practice.

Mr. Dikko who was represented by Mr. Mike Ohiani, Director PPP Resource department called on governments at all levels to key into the PPP method of infrastructure delivery given the current economic crunch in the country. “The PPP model is not the only option to bridge the infrastructure deficit in the country, the ICRC helmsman emphasized that it is a cost effective way for Nigeria to rebuild its decaying infrastructure. ICRC is committed to providing stakeholders the platform to accelerate knowledge of the rudiments of PPP,” he said.

He commended the immediate response of the ministries, departments and agencies (MDA’s) to ICRC’s request for inputs in its soon to be published 2017 pipeline  projects. ”