• Section 22(5) of the Cabotage Act be amended to exclude Fishing Trawlers from Cabotage jurisdiction. In the interim the Committee recommends an administrative exemption of Trawlers pending the amendment of the Act.
• That the Minister should initiate the legislative processes for an Act on the Seafarers’ Identity Document (SID). This will help track all seafarers operating in our waters;
• Ship chandling should be included as part of the Cabotage law.
• Section 22(5) of the Cabotage Act be amended to exclude Fishing Trawlers from Cabotage jurisdiction. In the interim the Committee recommends an administrative exemption of Trawlers pending the amendment of the Act.
• That the Minister should initiate the legislative processes for an Act on the Seafarers’ Identity Document (SID). This will help track all seafarers operating in our waters;
• Ship chandling should be included as part of the Cabotage law.
• That the shipbuilding provisions in Section 11 be categorized. In light of this, smaller vessels that can be built here should be restricted to Nigerian shipyards only.
• Cabotage jurisdiction in Nigeria should extend to shipping services to and from oil rigs/platforms and towage services irrespective of their locations.
• That the Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund (CVFF) utilization scope be expanded to give access to shipbuilders and repair yards to develop their yards, as well as training personnel for the country’s maritime industry.
Recommendations that Require Administrative Action
• There is the need for the implementing agency to properly identify all vessels trading in our domestic waters.
• Due to lack of adequate capacity by indigenous operators, waivers should be retained, with a proviso that foreign shipping companies granted waivers under Cabotage must plan for the training of Nigerian seafarers.
• Efforts should be made to build capacity of the Cabotage Department to enable them effectively monitor the operations of the regime.
• Foreign vessels should not be allowed to trade in our domestic waters without first obtaining waivers.
• In order to foster practical inter-agency action (jointly and severally). NIMASA should strengthen its cooperation and collaboration with other governmental agencies such as NNPC, PPMC etc involved in the operation of Cabotage. There is definitely need for enhanced coordination amongst these Agencies.
• Following the approval of the Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund CVFF Guidelines by the National Assembly, there is the need to activate the funds and make it available to beneficiaries.
• The Maritime Fund should be utilized for the benefit of indigenous Cabotage operators in line with Section 17(4) of the NIMASA Act.
• Additional finance for acquisition and servicing of vessels by indigenous operators should be made available through syndicated and structured financing by the Banks with government guarantee of such facilities after proper scrutiny of the applications.
• That the Maritime Academy of Nigeria MAN, as well as other training establishments for seafarers should be supported financially and otherwise, in this light, the utilization of the 5% of NIMASA’s Revenue for the development of MAN as provided for under section 16(2)(b) of the NIMASA Act should be enforced.
• There is need for NIMASA to collate and publish accurate data of all trained and certified seafarers in Nigeria, including their professional designation.
• Nigerian operators are the essence of Cabotage, save for nominal fees for registration, they should be exempted from fees under Cabotage.
• Nigerian Shipping Companies, shipyards and dockyards should be given fiscal incentives, in form of tax breaks and duty exemptions, on importation of equipment and spare parts.
• That patronage be enforced for local shipyards, including giving them right of first refusal on construction of vessels, particularly for Government procurement.
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