Despite promises, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has yet to relocate its N50 billion floating dock from the jetty at Standard Flour Mills in Apapa to its scheduled operational base at the Continental Shipyard, Apapa, 118 days after nitial preparations were announced.
Recall that on February 13th, NIMASA announced that preparations to deploy the Modular Floating Dock had begun. The agency had moved the dock to a jetty at Standard Flour Mills in Apapa, stating that, “We are moving slowly but steadily to our destination. Today, we are lifting out the cylindrical studs to be prepared for piling at the Continental Shipyard where the Floating Dock is scheduled to commence operations. These spuds have to be firmly installed before we can tow the Floating Dock there. We assure stakeholders that very soon, Nigeria will save foreign earnings with the commencement of operations of our Dock,” said former NIMASA Director-General, Bashir Jamoh.
Despite these assurances, findings by Shipping Position Daily have unveiled that the floating dock has remained idle, casting doubt on the effectiveness of the public-private partnership arrangements that were supposed to facilitate its operations.
Worried by the continued idleness of the national maritime asset, recently Mr. Bolaji Sunmola, Chairman of the Nigeria Port Consultative Council (NPCC), and Otunba Sola Olatunji, a prominent shipowner and member of the Nigerian Ship Owners Association (NISA), recently shared their perspectives on what NIMASA should do to maximize the dock’s potential and address the maritime sector’s challenges.
Sunmola called for a comprehensive re-assessment of NIMASA’s core values and strategic objectives regarding the modular floating dock. He emphasized that NIMASA must determine whether managing a floating dock aligns with its fundamental mission.
“NIMASA really needs to define their core values and what NIMASA is established to do,” Sunmola stated. He highlighted the discrepancy between the operational challenges of the national fleet and the substantial resources tied up in the floating dock, suggesting that the agency consider leasing or concessioning the dock to private entities.
Sunmola recommended that NIMASA collaborate with private companies to ensure the floating dock’s effective utilization. “If there are some kinds of private sector-driven initiatives into this, it will work,” he advised, even as he argued that the federal government should facilitate an environment for private sector participation, rather than managing such assets directly. “Government has no business in running business. Government is in the business of facilitating or creating the environment,” he said.
He aadded that If managed correctly, the modular floating dock could transform Nigeria’s maritime industry by reducing dependency on foreign dry-docking services, saving foreign exchange, and creating employment opportunities. Sunmola concluded that by re-assessing its core functions and embracing private sector collaboration, NIMASA could turn the floating dock into a cornerstone of Nigeria’s maritime infrastructure.
On his part Otunba Sola Olatunji provided a pragmatic view on the floating dock’s current status. He noted that while the ship owners did not specifically focus on the floating dock during a recent meeting with NIMASA’s Director-General, Dr. Dayo Mobereola, they emphasized the importance of repair yards. Olatunji maintained a positive outlook on the dock’s potential, urging NIMASA to operationalize the dock swiftly to support the maritime industry.
He emphasized the need for NIMASA to adopt a strategic and collaborative approach, finalizing site preparations at the Continental Shipyard, and addressing any technical or logistical challenges. Engaging with private sector partners to manage and operate the dock can enhance efficiency and effectiveness.
