Stakeholders operating within the Nigerian maritime domain including; the National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents (NCMDLCA), Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) and the Edo/Delta Shippers Association have frowned at the recent downgrading of the status of the Nigerian office of a multinational shipping line; Maersk Line.
Recent investigations have unveiled that Maersk Line may have downgraded the status of its Nigerian office from being a West Africa hub to a mere Nigerian office, meant only to cater for the needs of shippers with cargoes destined for Nigeria or departing from Nigeria.
Insider sources within the shipping line had recently confirmed to our correspondent that the decision was taken after last year’s gruesome murder of the wife of its Managing Director, West Africa.
Even though not happy with the development, some maritime industry stakeholders have fingered poor government policies as the major reason for Maersk Line’s action.
Speaking with Shipping Position Daily last week in Apapa, the national president of NCMDLCA, Mr. Lucky Amiwero, called for a proper investigation of the shipping company, accusing itof excessive charges, even as he added that moving out of the country will not affect Nigeria in any way.
Amiwero who blamed the government for not developing the nation’s seaport into hub, however said that the country is still the center of shipping where cargoes are influenced by demands.
He said “Maersk Line should be investigated because they are not complying, there are excessive charges at the Maersk Line, the Nigerian Shippers’ Council should look into their operations, because their charges are excessive”.
So whether they move out or not, you should understand that APMT is Maersk Line and vice versa, they should leave all those political gimmicks; whether they move to Ivory Coast or anywhere, I don’t think it will affect anything, Nigeria is still the center where shipping cargoes are influenced as a result of demands”, he added.
According to Amiwero, “Ivory Coast is just a hub, it has been developed as a hub and Nigeria has not developed their port as a hub. They were advertising a Maersk Line ship that berthed at Onne, that is not the essence of developing a hub, I think we have people who do not understand what they are doing in the country. If you are moving to Ivory Coast, that means Ivory Coast is becoming a hub and a developed center, a transshipment center and a preferred port, that is what it means. As at now you have vessels more than 20,000 TEUs most of them and hanging around the world moving cargoes from port to port”
Explaining further, Amiwero said that the Nigeria as a country does not have a port that can accommodate 20,000 TEU vessels unlike other African countries whose drafts are deeper than the ones in Nigeria.
“And the port that can accommodate 20,000 TEUs, we don’t have them here in Nigeria, that is just the truth about it. So Ivory Coast, Togo, Benin Republic and Ghana; all those countries are set up for bigger ships and transshipment centers and they are competing seriously. But when you put in people who are not professionally-sound to manage your port system, you will continue to see what you are seeing”
“So if they are moving out, that means Ivory Coast has been developing their ports for some time now and that is very clear. We must understand our competitors, Ivory Coast; their draft is 15meters, Ghana is almost going to 19meters, Togo is 16meters, Benin Republic and Cameroun are all 16meters and Nigeria is 13meters. So in Nigeria with all our cargoes we are yet to develop out ports, modern ports today see up to 20,000 TEUs and most of the African ports and accepting mega ships”, he said.
Also speaking the Vice President of ANLCA, Kayode Farinto told our correspondent that theoretically, Maersk Line has relocated to India before now, adding that they get their invoices for payment and release notes from India.
Farinto however said that relocating out of Nigeria is not in the interest of the country, stressing that the volume of trade in Nigeria is higher than what they will get in Ivory Coast.
“Well if you look at Maersk Line issue; before now theoretically, they have actually relocated to India. I need to tell you that we have been getting our invoices and release notes from India before now. However, it is not in the interest of this country, because the volume of trade here in Nigeria is higher than what they do there in Ivory Coast. Ordinarily, one would have expected them to move their headquarters from India to Nigeria as a sub-regional headquarter and operate from here”, he added.
Farinto blamed the too many bottlenecks associated with cargo clearance in Nigeria as the reason the shipping line is leaving the country, stressing that they are capitalizing on the fact that the country does not have an import regulator.
“But, you will not blame them (Maersk Line); it is as a result of human factor and too many bottlenecks that are associated with our clearing procedure, unlike Ivory Coast. I stand to be corrected, the issue of you don’t know when a cargo will leave the port and if eventually the cargo leaves the port, too many interventions here and there with Nigeria Customs Service is discouraging to the Nigerian maritime industry. Also they are capitalizing on the fact that we do not have import regulator, if the Nigerian Shippers Council’s National Transport Commission (NTC) has been approved, maybe Maersk Line wouldn’t have done that”
“Nobody monitors the shipping companies, even when the Shippers Council gives instruction, they go to the court and they quickly reject it. So, it is a slight on Nigeria, economically it has its disadvantages. I always like to look at issues from all angles, it does not portray us as leaders of Africa as we claim to be. And if you look at what is happening lately, Ivory Coast is claiming the hub which ordinarily should be given to Nigeria, but there are too many factors militating against it. It is a wake-up call to the federal government, that they are not living up to the responsibility”, he added.
Meanwhile the president of Edo/Delta Shippers Association, Dr. Austin Egbegbadia said that the decision by the shipping line is a very big shame on Nigeria as a country. “Of course it will affect the country, apart from that, is it not a shame that a small country like Ivory Coast is taking the shine out of Nigeria when Nigeria is called the giant of Africa.
Egbegbadia also said that there would be huge revenue loss to Nigeria as a result of the decision by the shipping company.
“What about the employment it will generate and then the extra revenue; you know shipping generates a lot of revenue in hard currency. No matter which way we want to look at it, Nigeria stands to lose; it is a shame, our policies are not right, it is those policies that the government should think of addressing” he concluded.
Discussion about this post