Mr. Akinsola Amire is the President, Nigerian Trawler Owners Association (NITOA). In this interview with Roland Ekama, he talked about sea robbery, with emphasis on attacks on fishing trawlers. The NITOA boss also shed light on the limitations and shortcoming of the Navy and NIMASA as regards provision of security on Nigerian waters.
“In 2008, all the fishing vessels in Nigeria were withdrawn from sea because it was almost impossible for companies to continue their operations in that regard; when almost on weekly basis, we hear that in one company, somebody was killed, vessel hijacked etc”
Can you shed lights of attacks on trawlers and seafarers by pirates on Nigerian waters?
Generally, the issue is not new. This started around 2003 and at that time, attacks were up to four times particularly as the days move to festive periods like Christmas. Ever since then, it continued in leaps and bounds to the extent that in 2008, all the fishing vessels in Nigeria were withdrawn from sea, because it was almost impossible for companies to continue their operations in that regard; when almost on weekly basis, we hear that in one company, somebody was killed, vessel hijacked and then take them to outside Nigeria to go and attack a bigger vessel. It became a global problem and so, why do I have to be in business if the only thing I do is to pay death benefits to those that died and only if it is easy to pay death benefits.
Fishing companies then decided that if we would not be guaranteed safety in our operations, we had better withdraw. So, vessels were withdrawn from sea and the Flag Officer Commanding Western Naval Command in 2008, Admiral Ibrahim on behalf of the Chief of Naval Staff had a press conference where he assured the industry that Navy would give them maximum support. But the support the Navy will give will be subject to their capability. Unfortunately, even when the Navy would be assumed to be doing security, they are limited and so, these miscreants still have upper hand at sea. During the build up to the 2015 elections, it appeared the situation got better, may be , it appeared the politicians employed most of the people in what can be described as ‘devil finds work for an idle hand’. They were busy with the politicians but now that the elections are over, they are back.
Between the 2008 experience and of in recent times, which one can you say is the worst?
None, it is bad all the way.
Have you ever taken your plight to the government?
I should not be complaining if I have not taken the situation to the government. The , like I said is that the capability of the Navy is limited and even the capability of the government itself is limited, because I was once with the government and so it is very difficult to provide the platforms for Navy to police the entire waters. It is almost impossible.
What do you think is responsible for the limitations?
Because of the expanse of the sea, to keep a vessel at sea for 24 hours is plenty of money and the money we have available in Nigeria now has so many uses and so the issue of opportunity cost comes in. it is only a matter of priority. However, the fortunes of Nigeria lie primarily in the waters. When you take care of the marine environment, you can be reasonably secured, then what is on land can have some respite but if you don’t take care of your marine security, there is a problem. May be politicians do not see it that way.
Where is the place of NIMASA in all of these?
When you say NIMASA, even when NIMASA has responsibility of safety, I would ask you but I will answer the question: ‘what type of safety? NIMASA does not go to defend the maritime environment even when NIMASA is now operating quasi coast guard; do they have staff? Is it not Navy they use? They only gave contract to XYZ to provide platform and Navy operates the security aspect. They put Navy there to provide security and their contractors would maintain the vessels and whatever. Recently, these miscreants around Fish Town got on board one of our fishing vessels, grounded the vessel, took away the Captain, took away the Chief Engineer and up till today, they are not yet seen. Complaints were made to NIMASA just for the records, they say okay send it to me by message what else would they do?
What is the possibility of getting the abducted crew members back?
They will get them, the only thing is that they will demand for ransom, but I said that government has the responsibility, but whether there is money or not, government is expected and should provide enabling environment for business to thrive, it is a problem. No wonder, if I have not seen, I have heard that businesses are moving out of Nigeria to places as close as Ghana and I think we should have a re-think.
Apart from the insecurity factor, what other challenge do you face in the course of your business?
If we put them according to economy of scale, the major one is security. If you are not secure, you are not safe. Then we have issues with the government. The last administration wanted to concession KLT 1 and 2, but this may be the only country where you don’t give pride of place to your fishing industry. In Ghana, Tema port is Ghana’s fishing terminal. There are some of these things that you need to do to make your industry grow.
About 10 years ago, we had about 34 fishing companies in this country, as I speak to you today, they are not more than 10 and it is not because capacity is not there, not because the will is not there, not because the resources are not there; but because of insecurity. And insecurity covers a lot of spectra. For example, you are walking on the street, you are not sure of your security, you are in your house, you are not sure whether the landlord will ask you to leave tomorrow, that is another type of insecurity. There are several areas of insecurity. For example, you come in here and the only thing you see are containers, it is not because the fishing companies cannot put in place permanent structure, but because the environment where you operate does not give you that lacuna and so if you are in an insecure environment, not because of thieves but because your landlord can say go tomorrow, go tonight, then you cannot have long time plan and if you cannot have long time business plan, there is a problem. Now, we suffer that, again, there used to be this Export Expansion Grant, which was given before to enable those companies that earn foreign exchange for Nigeria to continue to improve their operations, but the EEG was probably granted last, six years ago. So, if you have all sorts of insecurity all over the place and you are not sure of the policy that will be enunciated tomorrow, then it becomes very difficult for you, you are ever likely not to have a short term plan, may be your short term plan is just two months. That doesn’t help, but if you find yourself operating in a secure environment, then you are now able to plan operations even 10 years ahead. If for example, I know I am going to be here for the next 10 to 20years, I can plan that in 20 years, I am going to add certain number of vessels, but if you are not sure, then you cannot plan appropriately. Up till 1990, it may surprise you, the price of a litre of diesel was 11kobo, not N11 and so, a tanker of diesel then would cost just about N3,000 but now it is millions, but the price of fish cannot go up.
What are the new innovations you have brought into fishing to improve on your operations?
If you are talking of innovations, understand that basically, we are supposed to fish. You either trawl for fish or you trawl for shrimps and so licensed but in order to add value chain, that would probably make your products more marketable, more acceptable and by that, you get more money. Or what you probably contacted out before, which you spend money on, you now decide to do it yourself in order not to spend that money outside, but I don’t think it is even good for the company because it is always better to have different people doing different things and not concentrate everything within one company. If you don’t concentrate it within one company, the number of people you employ will reduce, but if for example, different people are into cold storage, different people are into processing, different people are into transportation and it is not just one company that does all these things, you have more people getting employed. But, because of the need to survive,we have Atlantic shrimpers here, in order for them to survive, they have now gone into shrimp farming and so all the fishing companies are now thinking of what to do to survive. But we have a lot of fishing resources in the country to sustain us, because I said about 10 years ago, we had 34 fishing companies operating about 260 fishing vessels. As at today, we just operate about 126, less than half. So, the resources are there but the problem is that we need security in our operations at sea, security in the tenure of where we operate from, security that whatever policy government enunciates, will not suffer somersault every quarter.
How exactly do government policies somersault and affect your business?
Export Expansion Grant was one policy enunciated by government to encourage companies that are into operations that earn foreign exchange to assist them to grow. On 6th of February, 2015, NITOA was invited to a meeting with Nigerian Export Promotion Council because 2004, 2005, and 2006 this industrial fishing subsector in Nigeria was the fourth largest non-oil foreign exchange earner for Nigeria. They said this was the situation before; what can we do to bring back those good old days but on 7th of February, they served us eviction notices from here. So, are we secure where we are now? Thank God the present government is in place. If it were to be the other government, maybe we won’t be here. This place is supposed to have been developed as the Lagos fishing terminal as President Obasanjo assured when he was in government. I want to believe that it is not only the industrial fishing sub sector that is suffering. It probably cuts across, but this is my area which I know. Now, we went as far as Mr. President in the last dispensation, the president referred us to the Senior Special Adviser on Maritime affairs, he called a meeting, he talked and talked and that was all we saw. So long as the fishing resources in Nigeria are sustainably managed, it is not like crude oil, if you sustainably manage the fishing resources, it will last forever and ever and I would think that the subsector that is infinite is one area that you should concentrate on and not the finite ones.
Does Nigeria export fish?
Nigeria even imports fish. Nigeria does not export fish, but some export-smoked fish. Nigeria exports shrimps and I can tell you that the shrimp resources in Nigeria is the best in the world and unfortunately, it is a business that you operate with your heart in your mouth which should not be. If my phone rings 12 midnight, I will think it is from somebody at sea.
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