A delegation of the ministerial committee on the review of Cabotage law is visiting a shipyard in Malaysia as part of its assessment and review of the implementation of the Coastal and Inland Shipping Act otherwise called the Cabotage law.
The committee which was inaugurated by the immediate past minister of state, water, Prince Okechukwu Emeka a few months ago is headed by a one-time chairman, Senate committee on marine transport, Senator Ugochukwu Uba.
Shipping Position Weekly confirmed last week that the delegation to Malaysia is made up of seven members of the committee. The team is being led by a former president, Nigerian Association of Master Mariners, Captain Niyi Adeyemo.
Other members of the elite delegation include: acting director, Cabotage at the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), secretary to the committee, a director in the ministry of transportation, a representative of Nigerian Ports Authourity (NPA), a representative of National Inland Waterways Authourity (NIWA) and a former director of maritime safety at NIMASA, Capt Ntiadem.
Our source who is very close to the committee confirmed that the delegation will spend time at the expansive NGV Tech shipyard in Malaysia to study the workings of the very successful shipyard and also open discussions on how Nigeria can have a vibrant shipyard.
The team which is expected back in the country this week, had before its departure for Malaysia visited some ship repair facilities in Lagos, Port Harcourt and Onne. In Lagos, the committee was at the Continental Shipyard, Nigerdock and the Naval Dockyard, while it was also said to have gone to the West African Container Terminal (WACT) ship yard in Onne, Rivers state.
Our source acknowledged that during its meeting with stakeholders in Lagos recently, there was an overwhelming demand that the requirement that Cabotage vessels must be built in Nigeria should be expunged from the Act.
“The committee’s thinking is that if NGV Tech in Malaysia that does not have its own steel can build supply vessels that are even longer than 90 metres, Nigerian shipyards should also be able to build such crafts, because it requires more of aluminum than steel”.
“Cabotage vessels are mainly in the category that will require more aluminum than steel, the committee even discovered that WACT in Onne can build these vessels” our correspondent was told. The review committee is expected to submit its report soon after which the executive will forward it to the National Assembly for consideration.
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