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Nigeria’s President-elect Buhari excites maritime industry stakeholders

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LAGOS-Maritime industry stakeholders are excited over the triumph of General Muhammadu Buhari in the March 28, 2015 presidential polls.GMB2

In the election result announced yesterday by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Buhari defeated incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan.

Jonathan had called the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate yesterday to congratulate him. The president spoke with Buhari on the phone and was expected to address the nation after rounding off a meeting with his cabinet.

He also spoke with the National Leader of APC, Bola Tinubu.

The March 28 election is historic because it is the first time an opposition party will unseat the central government as Buhari’s emergence yesterday put an end to the 16-year rule of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

National President, Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Prince Olayiwola Shittu, who spoke exclusively with Ships & Ports daily yesterday, a few minutes after INEC Chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega declared Buhari winner of the heated election, expressed excitement with the outcome of the polls.

He described Buhari’s victory as “the result of patience and perseverance.  “And it is not a surprise either that it’s a close run between two leaders with different orientation. Here is a sitting president who is thinking in the long term and here is an incoming president who is thinking on impacting on the people in the short term,” he said.

On his expectation of the new government to be formed by Buhari on May 29, Shittu said, “All the reports of all the committees that have been piling dust, whether seen or unseen but without any action taking place should be looked into. It is not a matter of setting up further committees but they should look at previous committees.”

Shittu also expressed hope that the Buhari administration would review the implementation of the controversial national automotive policy.

Founder of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), Dr. Boniface Aniebonam, said Buhari’s emergence as President-elect clearly showed the desire for a different approach to governance by Nigerians.

He said, “What is happening in Nigeria is not about Buhari but a march towards sustainable democracy in Nigeria.

“It is not about Buhari, it is not about Goodluck . It is about good governance in Nigeria, it is about Nigerians becoming critically aware of their environment, economy and their well being.

“From what we have seen now, we can see that Nigerians are consciously and deliberately becoming very very interested in what happens around them. The emphasis right now should be sustainable attack on the issues of corruption.

“What should we do to stem corruption in Nigeria as the cankerworm  and what I will say to Nigeria is that it is not that Buhari is an angel but it is the perception that people have about him with an intent to really stamp out corruption in Nigeria.”

Chairman, Association of Registered Freight Forwarders (AREFF), Dr. Frank Ukor was however unhappy with the outcome of the election.

“We expected that the incumbent would have won the elections but unfortunately he lost to the opposition. PDP is protesting because there was mass rigging in the north otherwise I don’t see how an opposition will beat an incumbent,” he said.

He however called on the All Progressives Congress and the newly elected president, General Muhamadu Buhari to focus more attention on the maritime sector because of its importance to the economy.

“We expected the new President to pay attention to the maritime industry because that is the second highest revenue yielder. I hope the people there will not steal all the money,” he said.

On his part, Chairman, Igbo Maritime Forum, PTML chapter said the election, which produced the president, was credible.

He said, “I am satisfied with the conduct of the election. It is free and fair. I don’t have any reason to believe there is rigging. Politicians can say anything they want. As far as I understand, the international body said it was free and fair. We have the tendency in this country that if something is not going well, people will start saying otherwise but as far as I am concerned, the election was free and fair.”

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Maritime

NIMASA Makes Dockworkers Registration Compulsory

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The management of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has advised International Oil Companies, terminal and jetty operators, and all other companies involved in stevedoring in the country to refrain from engaging unregistered dockworkers.

The information was contained in a statement made available to Biztellers by the Head, Public Relations, NIMASA, Osagie Edward.

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According to the statement, all stakeholders, including dock labour employers and stevedoring companies, are encouraged to apply for new operating licenses or renew expired ones within a 30-day moratorium period.

“This requirement,” it added, “is stipulated by the NIMASA Act of 2007 and outlined in the NIMASA Stevedoring Regulations of 2014, which mandates strict compliance from all maritime operators.”

Osagie cited the Director General, NIMASA, Dr. Dayo Mobereola as laying emphasis on the need for stakeholders to comply with extant laws and regulations.

Dr Mobereola said, “No terminal or company shall continue to engage the services of unregistered dockworkers for cargo handling at their work locations.

“This move is part of our broader effort to ensure safe and regulated operations within Nigeria’s maritime industry. Compliance with these regulations will enhance our ability to maintain an up-to-date database of dockworkers operating in the country. It also improves our planning processes, as we are committed to developing their capacity to meet globally accepted standards for dockworkers in Nigeria. We intend to enforce full compliance after the moratorium period.”

It was gathered that the NIMASA Act, 2007, Part IX, Section 27, addressed the registration of Dockworkers with focus on Maritime Labour.

“It ensures the Registration, Regulation, and control of Maritime Labour, including dockworkers. The Act assigns the Agency the responsibility of maintaining standards in accordance with international best practices,” Osagie added.

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Maritime Diplomacy: Nigeria Seeks Election Into IMO Council

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Nigeria has expressed a strong desire to seek election into Category “C” of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Council.

The Honorable Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, made the disclosure at the 2024 World Maritime Day parallel event in Barcelona, Spain.

Oyetola noted that Nigeria has put in place the basic needs for the development of her maritime industry in line with recognized global best practices.

In his words, “our active participation in upholding key conventions, such as the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) and the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code, reflects our dedication to ensuring the safety of international shipping.

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There have been no incidents of piracy in the last three years, as confirmed by the International Maritime Bureau (IMB). By deploying resources to provide maritime security assets, Nigeria has solidified its role as a key guardian of maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea.

Nigeria remains a valuable source of manpower for the industry. I therefore urge our partners to explore this potential and assist where possible in the best interest of all. Our Maritime Academy has adequate resources and facilities to support this development.

“I am pleased to announce Nigeria’s resolve to seek a Category “C” membership on the Council.

On his part, the Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dayo Mobereola, assured that no stone will be left unturned to ensure success in the quest for IMO Category C membership at the next elections.

According to him, “We at NIMASA have met with the IMO technical team and have commenced work on all identified grey areas so that Nigeria can address the gaps identified during the last audit by the IMO.

”We have also commenced the process of effective communication with other member states using the IMO GSIS platform, among others. While we at NIMASA focus on the technical aspects of the preparations, our supervising Ministry will provide the political will to guide Nigeria back to the Council at the IMO.”

Oyetola, who held engagement sessions with the IMO Secretary General Arsenio Dominguez and other diplomats, was accompanied on the working tour by the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Mr. Olufemi Oloruntola; the Director General of the NIMASA; the Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho; the Managing Director of NIWA, Mr. Bola Oyebamiji; and the Director of Maritime Safety and Security Services, Mr. Babatunde Bombata.

This year’s parallel event with the theme: Navigating the Future: Safety First, brought together international maritime leaders and experts to discuss future challenges and opportunities, with the aim of ensuring that safety is prioritized in the day-to-day operations of the global maritime sector.

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Maritime

Why PPP Is Necessity For Nigeria’s Maritime Infrastructural Dev’t – Mobereola 

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The adoption of the Public Private Partnership (PPP) model is essential for the infrastructural development of Nigeria’s maritime sector.

This is the view of the Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dayo Mobereola.

The DG, shared his views while hosting the Director General of the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), Dr. Jobson Oseodion Ewalefoh.

He emphasized the importance of the Commission’s increased involvement in attracting private investors to develop infrastructural capacity in Nigeria’s maritime sector.

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Dr. Mobereola said, “We appreciate the Management of the ICRC for being responsive. However, you know that the maritime sector is capital intensive and government funds cannot solely put in place the required infrastructure. We need the ICRC to develop PPP based business models that will be attractive to the private sector both from within and outside the country.

“There is the need to streamline processes by the use of technology, as we will continue to count on the support of ICRC to help drive the Agency’s PPP projects for effective and efficient service delivery to our stakeholders”.

Lending support to Dr. Mobereola’s views, Dr. Ewalefoh, underscored the significance of the maritime sector to Nigeria’s economy.

He noted that the PPP model would facilitate increased funding and expertise from the private sector, thereby accelerating the growth and development of the Nigerian maritime sector. Additionally, he stated that the ICRC is prepared to engage with the Agency on its projects and ensure timely execution.

“There is no time to waste; our country needs lots of funding for infrastructure and we need to create an enabling environment for activities to thrive. First, is service delivery, not revenue generation, and people will be willing to pay if they get the right services”, the ICRC boss noted.

The PPP model has proven to be the most viable approach worldwide for driving government policies that promote development and economic growth.

Biztellers reports that as a regulatory agency and Nigeria’s Maritime Administrator, the NIMASA has consistently embraced collaboration and partnership through the PPP initiative to ensure the growth and development of the maritime sector.

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