Nigeria’s Minister of Transportation; Mr Rotimi Amaechi has again pledged US $186m to combat piracy in a bid to safeguard its waters and vessels moving in and out of the country.
Speaking at Nor-Shipping’s inaugural Africa Podium, as part of Nor Shipping which conference and exhibition which ended in Norway last weekend, Mr Amaechi assured potential investors of adequate security in Nigerian waters, amid a rise in pirate attacks.
He revealed that over the next six months, the Nigerian government would give additional training to its navy, while providing technical and further support to patrol vessels in the region. Security would also be stepped up at the country’s ports, he assured.
“Rest assured, in six months you will no longer be harassed in our waters,” he told delegates.
Piracy is not the only issue currently impacting the progress of the maritime sector in Nigeria. While admitting that eradicating this growing issue was the main priority, Mr Amaechi was keen to point out that Nigeria was also making significant strides in its bid to improve its creaking transport infrastructure.
“All you hear about is efforts to stamp out corruption, but we are working extremely hard to develop transport infrastructure,” he added.
“Whether this be roads or railways, the development of ports, the dredging of inland waterways and coastal regions, he said there was huge investment and resources earmarked for projects now and in the future”, he told the delegates.
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