By Steve Agbota
The vessel management company of the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Company, NLNG Ship Management Limited (NSML), said , over the weekend, that none of the dockyards in the country can dry dock any of its LNG vessels.
Speaking in Lagos, the Managing Director, NMSL, Abdul-Kadir Ahmed, said the company takes its vessels out of the country for dry-docking because the country lacks the capacity and facilities to dry-dock any of its LNG vessels. In line with the International Maritime Organization (IMO) regulation, every vessel must undergo dry-docking once every three years in order to retain their safety classification and insurance cover. It costs between $300,000 and $500,000 to dry-dock a vessel, according to prevailing international rates.
But, the NMSL boss said his company would have wanted to dry-dock its 11 LNG vessels and one LPG vessel in Nigeria due to the huge revenue such would generate for the country, but for lack of dry docking facility that can handle an LNG vessel. The company is forced to dry dock its vessels outside the country.
He said: “Yes, capital flight is an issue when it comes to dry docking of our LNG vessels. However, underpinning that issue of capital flight is the capacity and ability to do it here in Nigeria. As a Nigerian ship management company, it is so much easier for me to dry-dock our vessels here in Nigeria. That is if there is anywhere I can do it. But, at the moment, there is no facility in Nigeria that can dry dock vessels of the sizes that we manage.
“I don’t want to sound critical but realistic. There is currently no facility in Nigeria that can handle any of our LNG vessels. I am not saying there are no dry docking facilities in Nigeria. But, if you understand the nature and size of an LNG vessel, then we will all know that there is nowhere in Nigeria that such vessels can be dry-docked as at today.”
Ahmed, however, disclosed that the company planned to set up a standard dry docking facilities in the country to put an end to capital flight that is occasioned by dry docking vessels outside Nigeria.
“But, most importantly, underpinning ability is capacity development, and we have already embarked on that path. As part of our Bonny Gas Transport (BGT) Plus Project, there was a scheme to bring in Samsung and Hyundai together with some Nigerian investors to establish a dry docking facility in Nigeria. Unfortunately, the scheme has not fully taken off, but we are still optimistic. We hope that when it fully takes off, it will commence effectively at the right standard.