Even though heads of maritime industry agencies shy away from it, the fact that some ships destined for Nigerian ports, still dock at neighbouring port of Cotonou in Benin Republic has been confirmed by no less a person than President Goodluck Jonathan.
Even though heads of maritime industry agencies shy away from it, the fact that some ships destined for Nigerian ports, still dock at neighbouring port of Cotonou in Benin Republic has been confirmed by no less a person than President Goodluck Jonathan.
Speaking last weekend at the ground-breaking ceremony of a Dockyard/Shipyard facility, and a Maritime University, which were pet projects of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) in Okerenkoko, Warri, Delta State, President Jonathan concurred that ships laden with goods meant for Nigerian ports sometime make a detour to Cotonou port.
While tracing the problems of the maritime sector, he lamented that: "From the beginning, this country started well in the maritime sector, but just like the industrial sector we laid back, so many countries that we were ahead of them, we had shipping lines that were going all over the world, but we couldn't follow up, now we have Cabotage law that gives a lot of privileges to Nigerians"
"But because we dint follow up, we are not maximizing the gains we are supposed to get from the maritime industry"
"We don't have the required manpower, there are some countries that more than 40% of their revenue is from port transactions, and Nigeria is a country that would have gained so much, but a number of goods meant for Nigeria is still cleared in Benin because of the stagnation in our port".
The President also blamed the inadequacies recorded in the implementation of the Cabotage Act as one of the reasons why the sector has refused to live up to the country's expectations.
He equally noted the decay in the shipping sector which he traced to the death of the Nigerian National Shipping Line (NNSL) and which according to him, gave rise to the Cabotage law, but he lamented that the law has not been followed up properly to correct the ills.
Jonathan however expressed optimisms that the creation of the NIMASA Dockyard/shipyard and the Nigerian Maritime University will further assist to provide for the needed manpower which according to him was one of the banes of the Cabotage Act.
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