By Rahanetu Abuh & Omolade Abdulkareem
Harboursandport.com: Lagos- October 18, 2024: Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Starzs Marine and Engineering Limited, Engineer Greg Ogbeifun, has advocated for a collaborative Public Private Partnership, PPP, to ensure development in the maritime industry.
Ogbeifun advocated this in Lagos during the National Discourse 2024, which was centered around the theme: "The Human Capital Components, Assets, and Infrastructure for the blue economy."
He noted that the state of the maritime industry is so dire that collaboration between the public and private sectors is essential to achieve practical outcomes.
In an interview with *harboursandport.com, Ogbeifun emphasised that the public sector must have a sincere interest and appreciation for private practitioners, as this is a crucial factor to consider when aiming to foster the growth and development of the maritime industry.
He also stated that by bringing together experienced and knowledgeable individuals, they can combine their ideas and create a pathway to achieve practical and actionable results that will benefit not only the industry but the nation as well.
When asked about the measures that should be implemented to address this urgent issue in the future, he responded, "Moving forward, the public sector should have a genuine desire to sit down and endear from the private practitioners.
"Governments have a life cycle of four to eight years while some of us have been in the industry for more than three decades, so we have seen, learnt, and noticed quite a lot hence, sitting down with those who have this experience and knowledge to rub minds with the public sector policy implementers is important on equitable level so that we can harness our respective ideas and together, chat a path towards achieving practical implementable results for the benefits of everybody."
In addressing this urgent issue, Ogbeifun expressed his worries about the industry and urged key stakeholders and actual policymakers to actively engage and contribute their ideas whenever they are invited to participate in programs aimed at boosting the economy.
In order to maintain the operation of the maritime industry, he also recommended for the "creation of platforms for contact and idea exchange, otherwise, those working in the field would feel as though they are simply banging their heads against a wall.
Until their efforts are recognised, he urged players in the private sector to keep fighting for what they think is best for the nation.
"We need to make it easy for all of us to interact and share ideas, but that platform is not there, and until it is there, we are knocking our heads against the wall.
"In the meantime, I encourage the private sector players to continue to do what you have to do and what you need to do until someday, the system recognizes that we are inevitable we are going to get the result," he asserted.
Kagbare, the organizer of the event, emphasized the need for certain aspects of the industry to be restructured for improvement. He stated that the government should increase its efforts in funding and providing essential infrastructure, enabling private sector operators to utilize these resources to succeed in their businesses.
Kagbare said,"The many issues are funding, capital, assets, and infrastructure, but the breakdown of it is that government should do more in terms of funding, and providing the necessary infrastructure so that the private sector operators can leverage on such facilities to thrive in their businesses."
He also mentioned that the government should provide grant incentives, reduce excessive fees, and supply necessary materials and equipment to enhance shipping in the area of human capital. Additionally, he emphasized the importance of supporting the Maritime Academy of Nigeria and funding institutions in the sector to better prepare students for their future careers.
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