About two weeks after it signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Greek shipowners to acquire 40 vessels, the Nigerian Shipowners Association (NISA) has revealed that its American counterparts are now ready to enter into the same agreement with Nigerians.
President of NISA, Captain Niyi Labinjo gave this hint during a press conference in Lagos yesterday.
He said with this, NISA is gearing up towards providing part of the 900 vessels required for offshore support services by the IOCs between year 2015 and 2020.
About two weeks after it signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Greek shipowners to acquire 40 vessels, the Nigerian Shipowners Association (NISA) has revealed that its American counterparts are now ready to enter into the same agreement with Nigerians.
President of NISA, Captain Niyi Labinjo gave this hint during a press conference in Lagos yesterday.
He said with this, NISA is gearing up towards providing part of the 900 vessels required for offshore support services by the IOCs between year 2015 and 2020.
The NISA President revealed that the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board under its former Executive Secretary, Mr. Earnest Nwapa had served a notice to all foreign owned, crewed and registered vessels that their contracts will not be renewed on expiration.
The IOCs according to him are obliged to engage Nigerian vessels in line with the provisions of the Cabotage Act and the Nigerian Content Act.
Labinjo also explained that coming on the heels of the understanding it signed earlier with the Greek shipowners, some American ship owners have also developed interest and have made several offers to NISA.
He said that the arrangement for the vessel acquisition with the American shipowners is not limited to product tankers alone. According to him, they are to provide all classes of offshore support vessels, including anchor handling tugs, platform support vessels, utility vessels, crew boats and patrol boats.
"Our American friends have agreed to provide these under similar arrangement"
"The transaction is ongoing, as I speak to you now I have received several offers from the Americans which we are processing" he said.
Labinjo however said that acquiring vessels is not the ultimate rather than for government to provide an enabling environment for the vessels to operate and for them to have jobs.
"Give me one million ships without jobs I will refuse them, so also will my members, things are very slow now in the country, and you want to rush and bring in vessels?"
Labinjo however sent a Save Our Soul (SOS) to President Muhammadu Buhari to enforce the Cabotage Act and ensure that the literage of the monthly N1.8billion litres of imported petroleum products are reserved exclusively for Nigerian shipowners.
The NISA President said that if this is done, N5.4billion will be generated monthly as earnings, while 500,000 unemployed Nigerian youths will be taken off the streets.
He lamented that, "Nigeria imports 1.8billion litres of petroleum products monthly, the mother vessels stay at Cotonou and Lome offshore and small tankers do the literage to bring the products to Nigerian ports. This operation does not require specialised vessels to do the literage"
"We have approached the government to say that if only Nigerian registered crewed and owned vessels are allowed to conduct the literage exclusively, 500, 000 Nigerians will be gainfully employed directly and indirectly"
"There will be monthly disposable income of N5.4billion saved from capital flight" he assured.
Labinjo said that the government had accepted the association's proposal and had directed the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) to act accordingly. He said that this was what informed the NISA collaboration with the Greek, Turkish and American ship owners.
"Our bankers are strongly in support and the ships shall be acquired by the Nigeria shipowners after the bareboat charter period" Labinjo assured.
Discussion about this post