▪︎ L-R: Eng Greg Ogbeifun, Eng Richard Owolabi, Rear Admr Godswill Ombo (rtd) and Eng Akintayo Akinbode, during the Summit. Image credit: Dailytrend.com
"The likes of Captain Emmanuel Ihenacho, Chief Isaac Jolapamo, and Temisan Omatseye, bought ships in the past, but the system killed their businesses"
Haboursandport.com:
Ogbeifun recalled that since the demise of the Nigerian National Shipping Line in 1995, the country has been losing $9.2 billion annually to the domination of her freight trade by foreign vessel owners.
In his paper titled ‘What is militating against the resurgence of Nigerian global trading?, he stated: “Nigeria has a growing demand for shipping services, but the government has not made it possible for indigenous operators to own ships.
The likes of Captain Emmanuel Ihenacho, Chief Isaac Jolapamo, and Temisan Omatseye, bought ships in the past, but the system killed their businesses.
With the jobs they were providing and the economic benefits to the nation, everything went down. "
Engineer Ogbeifun, who also doubles as the Chairman of the Benin Port Project Technical Committee, said that Nigeria’s geographical location along the Atlantic Coastline grants her a lot of access to shipping operations, making Nigeria a crucial hub for marine activities.
Nigeria currently generates about 70 per cent of the total cargo between the West and Central African regions.
The 16th Marine and Technical Summit of the Association of Marine Engineers and Surveyors (AMES) ended Thursday with calls on the Federal Government to allow indigenous operators to own ships.
Chairman, Starzs Investments Company Limited (SICL), Engineer Greg Ogbeifun, who made the call, lamented that despite being positioned to be the maritime hub of the Gulf of Guinea, Nigeria’s freight trade is dominated by foreign vessels because of a lack of indigenous capacity.
Ogbeifun recalled that since the demise of the Nigerian National Shipping Line in 1995, the country has been losing $9.2 billion annually to the domination of her freight trade by foreign vessel owners.
In his paper titled ‘What is militating against the resurgence of Nigerian global trading?, he stated: “Nigeria has a growing demand for shipping services, but the government has not made it possible for indigenous operators to own ships.
The result of this has made Nigeria completely rely heavily on foreign ships to move her goods.
"When you look at Apapa port, Tin-Can port, Warri port, Onne port, and the newly established Lekki port, all these ports are relevant in the carriage of Nigerian imports and export trade.
“It, however, breaks my heart that every time I look at our ports, all the quays and jetties are filled up with ships, but not one of these ships is owned by any Nigerian.
“It, however, breaks my heart that every time I look at our ports, all the quays and jetties are filled up with ships, but not one of these ships is owned by any Nigerian.
The likes of Captain Emmanuel Ihenacho, Chief Isaac Jolapamo, and Temisan Omatseye, bought ships in the past, but the system killed their businesses.
With the jobs they were providing and the economic benefits to the nation, everything went down. "
Engineer Ogbeifun, who also doubles as the Chairman of the Benin Port Project Technical Committee, said that Nigeria’s geographical location along the Atlantic Coastline grants her a lot of access to shipping operations, making Nigeria a crucial hub for marine activities.
Nigeria currently generates about 70 per cent of the total cargo between the West and Central African regions.
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