The House of Representatives committee on marine transport will this week host stakeholders in the maritime sector to another pubic hearing preparatory to the expected passage of the bill to establish the Chattered Institute of Shipping of Nigeria (CISN).
Apart from the CISN bill, the committee will also subject the bill for establishment of Maritime Zone to pubic hearing. The new bill seeks to repeal the current Exclusive Economic Zone Act and the Territorial Waters Act.
The CISN bill which is being spearheaded by the duo of Nigerian Institute of Shipping (NIS) and the Certified Institute of Shipping (CIS) is expected to usher-in a new era of professionalism in the maritime industry; an industry which has been bedevilled by prevalence of quacks and domination of non-professionals.
To get to this level, both NIS and CIS had jointly set up a charter committee which is headed the first national vice president of NIS, Mr. Patrick Egesi who also a former director general of the then -National Maritime Authourity (NMA).
If passed into law, the maritime zone bill will extend Nigeria’s exclusive economic zone as well as the nation’s maritime zones in line with the declarations of the United Nations.
It will also allow the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) to have more jurisdictions, especially over more oil sector facilities.
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