By Steve Agbota
The Managing Director, NLNG Ship Management Limited (NSML), Mr. Abdul-Kadir Ahmed has said that Nigeria must embrace the global maritime standards in the areas of safety, efficiency, security, capacity building and competence to maximise the potential embedded in the nation’s blue economy.
Ahmed stated this while delivering a keynote address at the 2022 edition of the Association of Maritime Journalists of Nigeria (AMJON) Conference/Award with the theme: “Maximising Nigeria’s Blue Economy Through Automation,” in Lagos recently, said that blue economy is not local; but an international industry with global standards.
He added that it is the responsibility of regulators to make sure that operators in the sector strictly adhere to these standards, saying that the set of rules that contain the activities of players within the sector apply not just to Nigerians; they are a global set of standards that deal with safety, quality, efficiency and security.
According to him, and that falls under the purview of the regulatory bodies; the ability to define and enforce those standards, and most importantly, the ability to carry the industry and ensure that these standards are upheld.
“The second element pertains to capacity and competence, the ability not only to develop but also to domesticate the capacity to drive the blue economy. It is very critical and without the people and competent hands, it is impossible to ensure that the blue economy will develop in a sustainable manner.
“NSML is a subsidiary of NLNG, primarily responsible for shipping and maritime services and operations, and the aim of the creation is simply to develop and domesticate the global skillsets when it comes to shipping and marine services, which are critical to the blue economy.
“It is also quite important when you look at it from that perspective, to recognise that at the end of the day, the development of our resources will have an effect and impact on the lives of people. Nigeria as a country of 200 million people, with over 50 per cent of our people below the age of 25, requires us to sustainably develop our resources in such a way that we can provide the means of livelihood for this vast majority of people. And to effectively do that, there has to be a focus on the development of capacity and skill set,” he added.
Highlighting on the importance of safety, security, competence and capacity, he said, “it is not enough to have an industry with these standards, but one that enables, drives and imbibes these standards because they are critical in terms of how we develop and sustain the blue economy.”
“The aforementioned elements are also very germane to achieving this. I have been thinking quite extensively about the theme of today’s conference, and from my perspective, it is an effective and sustainable development of our blue economy, but looking at it from the angle of automation, how do we automate? All of these elements that I have mentioned will come into play.
“I think the (AMJON) president also mentioned something about automating the regulatory infrastructure, and that is quite critical. And it goes beyond just safety enforcement, but also creating that environment that, as he rightly pointed out, enables ease of doing business. For us to really move this sector forward, it is important that there is clarity, a level playing field, competitiveness, and a drive towards efficiency, safety and security”, he said.