Anonymous
Anonymous
Nigeria as a country only goes to IMO conventions for selfish purposes not for the interest of the nation. If you recall a former DG of NIMASA is presently facing EFFC case over monies that were taken from government coffers to lobby other countries to vote for Nigeria in the IMO. You find out that all Nigerian’s involvement in IMO is all about what they will gain and how to bring money for their own pocket. It has never benefited the country in anyway. Now the country is blessed in terms of natural resources, but we don't have vessels, and we don't have platforms that guarantee job opportunities for the youths on our waters, therefore we are just rich because God has made us rich, but we don't have the brain to tap it.
Odulaja Eniola (Stakeholder)
We have not benefited from being a member of IMO because the things that we are supposed to tap in our own country is yet untapped and we feel we can discuss with countries that have got their acts right , who are positively inclined by taking advantage of their maritime resources. Again we have the biggest navy in Africa, yet our water remains the second most unsafe water in Africa after Somalia. As small as Liberia is despite just coming out from civil war, they protect their water and they don't need IMO for protection, but as big as we are we want some category ‘A’countries to help us protect our water. They have however made several attempts but failed and besides it is not that Nigeria has not benefited rather Nigeria is not positioned to benefit from such organisations because, people bring things to your country, your waters are very busy, ships are coming in and going out and there is poverty in the land which ought not to be, for instance if the vessels that come to Nigeria go to other countries, those countries will be super rich.
Daniel William (FFAN PRO)
Being a member of IMO has helped Nigeria when it come security and safety measures, and as a member of IMO, it has helped us to have a voice and it has also contributed to major international conventions, which we now domesticated in our locality, which before now has been done without considering the negative effect it has on us. As a member we cannot only contribute to international conventions, it will also boost our sea-worthiness and improve our maritime regulations.
Comrade Matthew Alade (Dockworker)
I think it Is of no use being a member of IMO because as a member state, we are supposed to help one another when it comes to challenges that are faced by any member nation. Now with the crisis we have at sea we expect member states to assist because of our incompetence, but nothing or whatsoever has been done. We are just wasting money sending delegates to IM0 conferences because we have not achieved anything.
Capt Niyi Labinjo (Nigerian ship owner)
No benefit at all! It does not count for anything. It does not lead to increment of our ship ownership which is the bottom line.
Dr. Babatunde Samuel (Registrar, POTMAN)
We have benefited from being a member of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in view of the fact that we have been able to domesticate some of the conventions and codes like the ISPS code which has certain effect on our security. Our membership has also made us to interact with other member state and to share wealth of experience and knowledge together, it was even acknowledged that Nigeria among the West African countries has been leading in the area of presenting students for the World Maritime University which is an arm of IMO, apart from this, the various laws we have is as a result of backup from IMO. We have also benefited in the area of seafaring activities, although we may have some lapses, but that does not mean there are no achievements, in every system there will always be challenges and prospects, and these are the tools that go side by side as far as being a member of IMO is concerned. The recent domestication of MLC 2006 is also an indication of some of the benefits because it is going to assist our labour and seafarers to benefit from what the NIMASA is domestication.
Rev. Alex Okwuashi (Registrar, CISN)
IMO is a global maritime administration that coordinates other maritime administrations all over the world, and each state is expected to benefit from the objectives of the IMO, they help member nations to shape standard, the organization also finances member states on critical issues. Other areas includes safety policies, whatever any nation does must be internationally acceptable, they make member nations sit up in terms of safety standards. Nigeria has benefited from the conventions, the safety policies and the IMO security initiatives, Nigeria is a very volatile maritime country where security levels are poor, and the IMO is already helping Nigeria to fight the issue of piracy and terrorism in Nigeria.
However, recently, the IMO has not been treating Nigeria very well, we cannot be coming and going out of the White List, as it is now, we are not being involved in technical committee sessions where decisions are taken, we are supposed to be permanent members now of IMO, we are supposed to be in the inner caucus of the policy making body in IMO and not moving in and out of the white list.
Galtima Liman (Maritime Consultant)
Essentially, networking is the only benefit we are getting for now; full benefits could cascade as you begin to acquire the status of ship-ownership with robust capacity for ship building and efficient dry-docking facilities. A nation that does not own a ship will be a joke in the IMO, Nigeria as a nation of 170million people cannot boast of a single vessel, so who will provide the logistics in time of warfare? God forbid it happens, but it can happen, because Maiduguri has always been a peaceful state in Nigeria, but look at what insurgents are doing there right now, so we must be prepared always. We should be able to look at shipping from a commercial angle, let us forget all the razzmatazz that has been going on about the IMO membership.
Engr. Cyril Okoro (Maritime Stakeholder)
Nigeria has not really benefited from being a member of the IMO because of the calibre of people that are chosen to represent us in the organization, we have not seen the benefit of some of the conventions of IMO at our ports, take for example the Facilitation of Marine Traffic has been imposed on Nigeria to domesticate, but when you go to the port it is not working, yet it is an IMO convention. The problem is that the people that are usually taken to represent Nigeria in the IMO do not know what it is all about, they are not insiders. How can you get the benefit from IMO when the facilitation of marine traffic which the IMO recommended that there must be a National Facilitation Committee on ground to take care of whatever is happening around the port is not in place? I am sure the convention was signed but it has not been domesticated, this was why the minister took some people for port decongestion and they just carried anybody to be in the committee, there is supposed to be an existing marine traffic committee because it is an IMO regulation.
Discussion about this post