Ms Lynda Ikpeazu, Chairman, House Committee on Maritime Safety, Education and Administration on Tuesday said that the National Assembly would strengthen maritime laws for economic growth and development.
Ikpeazu made this known at the maiden edition of the Nigeria Internatinal Maritime Summit (NIMS) held in Lagos.
She said that the lawmakers would work with the Federal Ministry of Transportation and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) to actualise the objective.
She added that they would critically review the legislation on Cabotage.
“We will also be engaging stakeholders with their input to ensure that these legislative initiatives will reflect industry expectations and realities,” Ikpeazu said.
She noted that the theme of the summit had crystalised the undisputed fact that the maritime sector needed to be properly positioned.
Ikpeazu said that the sector needed to be positioned to take its rightful place as the country’s key foreign exchange earner.
“Nigeria is blessed with human capital and good coastline, but despite these features, struggles to achieve its collective dream for a developed maritime sector.
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“The comparative advantage must be harnessed, the private sector is deep with untapped potential capable of driving economic growth and phase out the ravishing impact of the pandemic,” she said.
Earlier, the Chairperson of NIMS, Mrs Mfon Usoro, stressed the need to bring the necessary ministries together in bid to get them in sync to adopt a holistic maritime national strategy.
According to her, collective approach to strengthen the maritime industry growth is key to attaining the anticipated goals of the shipping sector.
The NIMS is the only whole-of-value-chaim business event for international organisation, policy makers, regulator and others in the Nigeria’s maritime industry that highlights the most important issue affecting maritime investment and operations in Nigeria.
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