Every year is unique; it’s never like those before it and won’t be like those coming after it.
But will that be correct about the Nigerian maritime industry in 2014, the answer is simply that: nothing much changed in 2014, that is, when compared with 2013.
Every year is unique; it’s never like those before it and won’t be like those coming after it.
But will that be correct about the Nigerian maritime industry in 2014, the answer is simply that: nothing much changed in 2014, that is, when compared with 2013.
Let’s look at it this way: Unlike what the industry is used to, did any Chief Executive Officer lose his or her job, the answer is No. Did the traffic situation into and out of the port city of Apapa change, the answer is No. Did indigenous stop worrying about the failure of Cabotage, the answer is still No. Did freight forwarders stop their complaints against the Nigeria Customs Service, it is No.
But, it will be absolutely incorrect to say that, because the answer to all the above posers is a No, then the industry didn’t experience any change in 2014.
As 2014 is winding down, yes, it may be correct to say it is a predictable year.
We all knew ab initio that certain things wouldn’t change and we weren’t disappointed. For instance, the plight of the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) did not change. It entered into 2014 without a governing council, and there is nothing to indicate that this status would change before December 31, 2014.
As Nigeria’s leading maritime media organisation, we have the advantage of seeing the Nigerian maritime sector from all fronts; from ‘the good, the bad and the ugly sides’, sufficiently enough to say that 2014 may not really be spectacularly different from the ones before it. Not many surprises; not many upset!
When the year started in January, we like everyone expected that 2014 would be better than the year before it. Whether or not it was, is a matter of the side of the economic divide in which you are. But, generally, we had hoped that the mistakes of previous years would be corrected, we had many positive hopes.
Sadly, the issues that ushered us into 2014 are still with us and most likely going to herald us into 2015.
One of them is the long-awaited passage of the all-important Port and Harbour Bill. We are however glad that 2014 ushered-in a regulator in the name of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council.
This remains the greatest news in the industry in 2014; the transmutation of the Nigeria Shippers Council to the economic regulator of port activities is the best gift from the government to stakeholders.
The good news was however almost aborted by a coalition of shipping agencies and terminal operators which attempted to test the new status of the Council by going to court to challenge its directives on charges. Happily, a Federal High Court in Lagos upheld the powers of the Shippers Council as the economic regulator.
Just like we said last year, we blame industry stakeholders for their loss of attention on the Port and Harbour Bill, even as we condemn both the National Assembly and the Federal Ministry of Transport for the delay. If industry players had risen up to the challenge of forming a formidable lobby group, may be the Bill would have been passed even before now.
Another good aspect of 2014 is the successful test of the Customs Pre Arrival Assessment Report. Even though it was introduced towards the end of 2013, it is in 2014 that it was actually tested and certified workable.
Going by records of previous years, we also believe that piracy reduced in 2014, but the same can not be said about sea robbery. The feat for reduction in piracy is attributable to the collaboration between the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency and Navy.
The greatest pain of port users, especially those in Lagos remains the terrible state of access roads into Lagos ports of Apapa and Tin Can. Sadly, this predates 2014!
By and large, 2014 is a blessed year for the nation’s maritime industry, and indeed, for us at First Mediacon Network Limited (owners of Shipping Position Daily newspaper) and Shipping Position Live on Star FM.
We have had a fulfilling 2014, it is the year, that Shipping Position Daily newspaper turned seven, having started as weekly years back.
As always, we are grateful to God Almighty for His mercies and abundant grace. As a media outfit, we still remain the numero uno in our chosen field of maritime media, holding the enviable record of being Nigeria and indeed Africa’s first maritime daily publication.
Our prayer is that you all have merry Christmas celebrations and a 2015 that will be more fulfilling than 2014. Amen.
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