Harboursandport.com: Lagos - The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and
stakeholders in the maritime sector have concluded plans to end Cabotage
waivers for non-indigenous ship owners within the next five years.
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l-r: Former Director General, NIMASA, Mr. Temisan Omatseye;
Executive Director, Maritime
Labour and Cabotage Services, NIMASA,
Mr. Gambo Ahmed; Head, Cabotage, Mr.
Victor Egejuru; Director Maritime
Labour, Mr. Ibrahim Jibril; Director General,
Nigerian Chamber of Shipping,
Mrs. Obi Obiageli; and Deputy Director, Western Zone,
Mrs. Irene Macfoy,
after a meeting between NIMASA and maritime industry
stakeholders on a
five-year Cabotage cessation plan in Lagos.
Speaking during the meeting held at the NIMASA headquarters, the Director General of NIMASA, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, said the Agency was determined to ensure that Cabotage waivers were stopped in the next five years.
Dakuku stated, “NIMASA’s mandate is all about promoting and regulating
shipping in Nigeria and we have no intentions to stifle anybody’s business.
Rather, we are committed to promoting, protecting and providing the enabling
environment so that the local ship owners can grow and compete with their
international counterparts.
“We are, certainly, determined to work with our stakeholders.”
The DG, who was represented by the Executive Director, Maritime Labour
and Cabotage Services, Mr. Gambo Ahmed, told the stakeholders that part of the
strategy to bring an end to the issuance of waivers was to develop
infrastructural capacity and human capital with respect to training of
seafarers to attain global standards.
A statement made available to Harboursandport.com signed by the Head, Corporate Communications of NIMASA, Isichei Osamgbi noted that the Peterside called on the stakeholders to cooperate with the Agency
to realise the Cabotage implementation, saying it holds a huge potential to
create jobs, add to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and bring about a boom in
the economy.
Speaking at the occasion, Mr. Temisan Omatseye noted that NIMASA was the
only Agency recognised and mandated by the government to regulate and enforce
shipping activities in Nigeria. Omatseye urged the Agency to use the powers
bestowed on it by law to ensure total compliance with the Cabotage Act and
apply punitive measures against erring shipping companies.
“If we don’t begin to enforce the Cabotage law, the use of the Cabotage
Vessel Financing Fund (CVFF) will be defeated,” Omatseye added.
On his part, Mr. Neeraj Kumar of TMC Shipping Pvt, India, commended the
efforts of the Agency to ensure the implementation of the Act, stating that the
ports are critical to economic growth. Kumar pledged India’s willingness to
collaborate with Nigeria, especially, in the area of shipbuilding.
Other stakeholders who spoke at the event were Mr. Mike Igbokwe, SAN;
Barrister (Mrs.) Obiageli Obi; and President of Nigerian Indigenous Ship owners
Association (NISA), Mr. Aminu Umar. They unanimously applauded the efforts of
the present management of NIMASA to actualise a robust maritime sector through
various stakeholder-oriented programmes and promised their full support and
cooperation. They also called on the Federal Government to support the Agency
to ensure greater indigenous participation in the maritime sector.
Part III, section 9-11 of the Coastal and Inland Shipping (Cabotage)
Act, 2003 provides for waiver on the requirements for ownership and manning of
Cabotage vessels by Nigerians and also building of such vessels in Nigeria,
where capacity is lacking. However, in order to encourage more indigenous
participation, which is the essence of the Act, NIMASA is desirous of stopping
these waivers and has put in place a strategic plan in that regard. It includes
the New Cabotage Compliance Strategy (NCCS) under which certain categories of
waivers have been suspended.
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