NIS President Charges Nigeria To Be Export-oriented

The outgoing-President of the Nigerian Institute Shipping (NIS), Mr John Egesi, has advised that Nigeria needed to be an export-oriented nation to reverse the current misfortune facing her maritime industry.  
Mr. Egesi who spoke during the induction of new Fellows and award ceremony of the institute on Friday in Lagos also posited that shipping grows other industries, adding that the growth of shipping is determined by the manufacturing companies. 
 He consequently urged the Federal Government to refocus Nigeria on the part of exports.
“I am urging the government to depend more on exports, they should try to produce cargo, because once there is cargo, ships will be available.  There must be a link between the development of manufacturing industry and the maritime sector”, he stated. 
“With regards to shipping, her fortunes are tied to what Nigeria produces in the farms or creatively manufacture for exports.  Therefore all I am saying is that government should bear this in mind that while developing the maritime industry exportable trade should go in tandem with both Naval and Maritime development”, he told the gathering of maritime industry experts.  
Egesi who is a former Director General of the defunct National Maritime Authourity (NMA) also said that the Nigerian Institute of Shipping has intensified its professional training programmes and created stronger ties between the institute and shipping companies. 
“So far we have succeeded in repositioning maritime education and training in Nigeria. In pursuant of this, we have intensified our professional training programmes and created stronger ties between the institute, shipping companies and terminal operators both within as well as in our neighboring countries within the West African sub-region”, he said. 
Egesi also reiterated the need for the government to revive the Nigerian National Shipping Lines (NNSL), he also called for the establishment of a maritime university.
“There have been a lot of spirited and various contributions in advancing the economic and growth of the industry most are centered on the resuscitation of the NNSL.  Presently there has been the urge for the accelerated development of the maritime university”, he noted.
Also speaking at the event,  the Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr Dakuku Peterside, re-emphasized the need o reactivate the push for a chartered status for  the NIS.
 “Many years ago, for people to go into the business of shipping you don’t need to go to school, all you needed was to learn the trade but now, reverse is the case. You require a lot of training and education for you to go into the sector and that is why NIS is very important. It will help you to learn and those who do not renew their knowledge in the industry always remain at a particular level”. 
Challenging industry player on the need to assist the NIS in its pursuit, the NIMASA DG said, “It is time we all settled down and think of how to develop NIS, there is need to move the institute to a higher level.  I am therefore urging all to support the institute with whatever they have. A lot of things have taken place in the sector all the agencies are going through changes”. he said
Also speaking the Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) Hadiza Bala Usman, who was represented by Engr. Ihenacho Ebubeogu, said that in the efforts to reduce the traffic gridlock at Apapa, the agency has directed that all shipping companies must provide off-dock facilities for their containers.
“We have started addressing the gridlock in Apapa and in a meeting we had recently with the minister we have agreed that all the shipping companies must have off-dock for their containers and we are going to inspect that next week. This is not going to be a lips service but everything must be in place and the off-dock must operate in call up basis.  We are also planning on initiating a new port system, we need to redefine and we are going to do that in collaboration with all the tiers of the government”, he concluded. 
About 35 individuals were conferred with the Fellowship of the institute at the colourful ceremony. They included the Chief of Naval Staff; Vice Admiral Ibok Abas, the DG of NIMASA; Dr Dakuku Peterside , and the Managing Director of NPA; Hassan Bala Usman, among several others
 Several were also inducted as members.