By Godwin Oritse & Yemie Adeoye

THE Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) have   agreed to forge a common front with a view to enforcing the Cabotage law and managing waiver applications.

Speaking at joint press briefing recently, Chief Executives of both organisations vowed to implement every provision in the Cabotage Act so as to build local capacity in the indigenous shipping sector.

In a statement, the Executive Secretary  of NCDMB, Mr Ernest Nwapa warned that Nigeria’s inability to implement policies in the maritime, oil and gas industries will continue to stunt the growth of these two very important sectors of the economy.

He noted that a clause in  the Nigeria Content Act requires the collaboration of both agencies in the implementation of the Cabotage law.

Speaking in similar vein, NIMASA’s  Director-General Temisan Omatseye said that NIMASA will as soon as possible institutionalise indigenous cargo carrying rights and cargo preservation.
Said he, “Because we have not been able to implement our policies and have consistently allowed excuses and waivers to lock down our potential to transform our national endowments in the maritime and Oil and Gas sectors.

“If this trend remains unchecked, it will certainly continue to militate against the aspiration of Government to promote Nigeria into the league of industrialised nations by the years 20:2020.

“Indeed, the lack of progress in developing a local industry around the maritime and Oil and Gas industries is assuming dimensions of urgency considering the current pressure on government to mobilize our natural resources for economic advantage and gainful employment of its teeming population”.

Speaking further,  Mr. Omatseye said “ I always say that the problem is not that we dont have business in Nigeria, last quarter, NNPC imported over 4 billion liters of products, and if we translate that one into N3 per liter which is the cost of literage, which is the cost of litharge, that will give Nigerian ship owners over N12 billion naira per quarter. This at the moment is enjoyed solely by foreigners”.

The NIMASA DG who noted that the challenge of Nigerian ship owners is the quality of their Vessels said that they can only improve on the quality if they have business. He restated the commitment of NIMASA to assist in creating the business for Nigerian vessel owners.
He also challenged members of the public to reveal the identity of Nigerians who collaborate with foreigner to deny exclude indigenous participation in coastal trade.
The Executive Secretary of the NCDMB  Engineer Ernest Nwapa   announced that the Board and NIMASA are working on a waiver Management Standards that fit into global best practice. He said that the NIMASA NCDMB  collaboration is aimed at  closing all gaps and loopholes that may be exploited to weakening the efforts of government.

In his words, “ we believe that once we work together with other relevant Agencies of Government, we will put the local capacity in place to achieve desired levels of value retention especially in the wake of investments anticipated with the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill.

While noting that the Nigerian Content Act signed into law by President Goodluck Jonathan requires the NCDMB and NIMASA to ensure compliance with the Cabotage Act, the Executive Secretary restated their commitment to drive the process.

He lamented the situation where Nigerians lift less than 500 DWT per day out of the 24 million DWT aggregate the Oil Producing Economic Community, OPEC tanker Capacity.

He acknowledged the fact that oil production in Nigeria cannot be sustained without marine transportation and other marine support infrastructures

He announce that the Nigerian content Act has made it  mandatory for any company working in Nigeria to demonstrate ownership of a minimum of 50% of the  equipment used for work.

Also speaking at the event , the Chairman of the Indigenous Shipowners Association of Nigeria, Chief Isaac Jolapamo, commended both Agencies for their collaborative efforts to enhance the capacity of local participation in the Nigerian maritime industry.

“The time for crying is over. We indigenous shipowners have absolute confidence in the leadership of NIMASA and the Nigerian Content Monitoring Board to effectively implement the provisions of the Cabotage Act and the local content Act effectively. You people want to drive it. And you have started on the right footing and we shall support you”.

On her part, the Director General of the Nigerian Chamber of Shipping, Mrs. Ify Akerele,  urged both NIMASA and the NCDMB to work at exposing Nigerians who connive with foreigners to deprive Nigerian operators of the benefit of the Cabotage regime in Nigeria.