Austin Osuma (Organizing Committee, Maiden NIMAREX Edition)
Austin Osuma (Organizing Committee, Maiden NIMAREX Edition)
NIMAREX is no longer achieving its purpose and that is why people like us are no longer involved, it has not lived up to expectation, there is still a lot to be done. The programme is on the right course, but I think there is need for synergy and for professionals to put hands together, there is need for honesty, transparency, individual interests should be subsumed undernational interest, the interest of the maritime sector should be put at the forefront and not for people to come under NIMAREX and pursue personal agenda, there is too much of internal politicking in NIMAREX.
Oladipo Bolade (ANLCA Headquarters)
From what I have witnessed from the past editions, one can see with the caliber of organization, the companies that participated, it shows that NIMAREX is accepted, it shows again the motive with which the expo is being organized. When you see the exposition of the various companies when they display their profiles, you will discover that many of them are well connected, this is why NIMAREX has been so successful, to me I believe they are doing very fine. We as ANLCA have been participating for the past three editions and we will also participate in the forthcoming one.
Dr. Obiora Madu (CEO, Multimix Academy)
NIMAREX is necessary because our maritime industry has so far not been properly exploited, if things were to work the way they should, the NIMAREX should give us more attention than the oil industry, of course you know that the oil industry cannot function without the maritime industry. I don't know the results that NIMAREX has produced, but I will advise the organizers to be taking appraisals at the end of each period to find out if we have moved on from where we were, clear objectives should be set out the programme, how much of it has been implemented? NIMAREX should not just be a talk show; the communiqué issued at the end of the day should be sent to relevant quarters and before the next edition of NIMAREX, there should be appraisal of the last.
Captain Thomas Kemewerigha (Ex-President Merchant Navy)
I believe objectively that the forum was supposed to bring international ship owners and other stakeholders in the maritime industry to invest in the whole of Africa. But where I will fault the NIMAREX is the fact that each time NIMAREX held, we don't see the presence of foreign multinationals. When we have a forum like that we expect virgin companies who have business interest in Nigeria to be invited and tap from our resources and even give back to our youths through job creation. But none of the past events have been able to add value to the industry and the economy of this great country. We had the event one, twice, thrice and four times without any impact in all aspect of the maritime sector in Nigeria, because it goes beyond telling the world about what NIMAREX will offer without anything to show at the end. But I think the 2015 planning committee will handle this year's event the way it is supposed to be handled.
Barrister Osuala Nwagbara (Maritime Lawyer)
NIMAREX is an event where government and the private sector come together to promote investment in the maritime sector in Nigeria. We are envisaging that government policy will affect the promotion of trade in the maritime sector because there is collaboration. NIMAREX is a vision of government at the national, regional and sub regional levels of West and Central Africa. 2015 NIMAREX is going to leverage on what past NIMAREX events have done. We are looking critically at what the past has done so as to plan better. So it is not a jamboree
Chima Sampson (Registrar NIS)
I will say that the reason why NIMAREX is in existence is based on what the industry is yearning for. NIMAREX activities in time past have impacted on the sector positively, based on bringing industry stakeholders together to discuss salient issues affecting the maritime industry. It is very important that from time to time there is need for players of the industry to come together to deliberate on maritime issues and how to make progress. NIMAREX’s existence is very important in my own opinion, because I think with NIMAREX in place; government has been able to understand the importance of the maritime industry.
Ismail Aniemu (President MARCON)
NIMAREX is a bogus talk show and exhibition ground for personal enrichment of its promoters. It is of no significance to the good and growth of Nigeria maritime sector. It has made no impact or added any value. Our maritime challenges require more than some lousy exhibition or expo. NIMAREX is more of a waste of time by government officials who attend the events. It is also a waste of government scarce resources and a combined waste of human capacity. Instead of the government through the ministry of transport and its parastatals to brainstorm on how to revamp the national shipping line, they are busy organising what is described as a jamboree. In a nutshell, it is a combined waste of time, scarce financial resources and unwise deployment of our maritime manpower.
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