Apparently determined to explore the bunkering market potentials in Nigeria and the Gulf of Guinea, government has constituted a committee of experts headed by oil industry big wig, Capt Emmanuel Ihenacho to work towards enhancing the position of Nigeria in bunkering activities.
The development was unveiled last week through a statement that was signed by the senior technical adviser to the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Dr. Mohammed Ibrahim.
Giving further details, the statement explained that while Capt. Ihenacho is o serve as the Chairman of Steering Committee, Dr. Mohammed M. Ibrahim is Chairman of Plenary Committee.
The committee comprises of major players from the public and private sector including : Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, Nigerian Ports Authority, Nigeria Customs Service, Representative of the National Security Adviser and Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency.
The committee is expected to review current legal and regulatory framework governing the bunkering industry in Nigeria as well as the existing guidelines and licensing policies of the DPR and all other government agencies on bunkering operations, in addition to assessing the size and scope of the global bunkering industry with particular reference to the potentials of the sector in Nigeria.
The Minister who inaugurated the panel said that time has come for the country to explore the economic potentials of the bunkering market establishing the right policy environment that would make thrive adding that “ it has become imperative for us to begin to explore all the potentials that crude oil offers the nation and as part of realising this objective, the bunkering market comes in to focus because it can be another major source of earning for Government and will surely provide additional benefits for other economic activities in Nigeria”.
According to Lukman, the global bunkering market is a multi-billion dollar industry which Nigeria needs to tap into to make her potentially become the hub of bunkering activities in the Gulf of Guinea.
The committee is also expected to review current bunkering operations in Nigeria and design and recommend appropriate policy and strategies for the establishment of an effective bunkering market in Nigeria in line with global best practices especially MARPOL and other environmental issues.
Lukman who explained that bunkering, which is essentially the process of making fuel available for propulsion in the maritime industry, also confirmed that the service has been suspended since year 2000 due to the non-availability of Bunker fuels to bunkering vessels. The ban was however lifted in April 2007 by the Federal Executive Council
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