By Isaac Anumihe
On Wednesday, April 20, Abuja will be agog with activities as over 32 African nations will converge in the Nigeria’s federal capital territory to fashion out ways to maximise the economic potentials of the continent’s large ocean.
The Nigerian maritime industry is estimated to exceed $153 billion (as at March 2016), representing 30 per cent of the current Nigerian GDP. So, with the current efforts to diversify Nigeria’s revenue away from oil, maritime industry is next to receive government’s attention especially in the face of dwindling revenue from oil. It is against this backdrop that President Muhammadu Buhari approved the participation of Nigeria through Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) in the International Maritime Organization (IMO) council election coming later in the year.
Buhari will address the conference on certain policy directions of his administration as it concerns the maritime industry. The president will also be unveiling the new NIMASA brand during the three-day event.
He will also meet a body of African Maritime leaders under the aegis of Association of African Maritime Administration (AAMA) from across the continent to brainstorm on ways to develop the maritime industry.
The meeting, which is part of the third edition of AAMA Conference being organised by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) in conjunction with the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) will equally attract other maritime countries across the globe with representatives from IMO and major shipping line operators.
Nigeria controls the highest cargo throughout in the West and Central African regions with over 200 million metric tonnes of cargo annually and more than 6000 ocean-going vessels calling at her ports yearly. So, sitting on the council will further reinforce the country’s leading role in the maritime industry in Africa.
Recall that the Association of African Maritime Administrations (AAMA) was formed following the signing of the African Transport and Maritime Charter in 2012 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and the aim of the association is to promote the development of Africa’s maritime regulatory and maritime environment. The association which is an umbrella body of five African Maritime Stakeholders’ groups namely: Association of Maritime Administrations of Africa, Africa’s Ship Registry Forum, African Ship Owners Association as well as Africa Shippers’ Council and Seafarers’ Forum seeks to bring together all players in the African maritime sector to chart a way forward for the industry’s development on the continent.
According to the Director General of NIMASA, Dr Dakuku Peterside, the conference will draw a roadmap for future sustainable workplans of the association.
“We view hosting AAMA as part of our drive to reposition the Nigerian maritime sector, thereby making Nigeria a force to be reckoned with again, globally.
“Aside the immediate benefits of having maritime administrations in Africa converge in Nigeria, the multiplier effect will go a long way to enhance the chances of Nigeria to return to council at IMO at the category C level. NIMASA’s management has received the presidential approval to seek election into the category C of the IMO council” he said.
However, industry watchers have given a thumb-up for this all-important event taking place in Nigeria. They ex-rayed the benefits derivable from gathering the world’s best in the industry to Nigeria.
According to an industry analyst, Mr Ismail Aniemu, Nigeria controls over 70 per cent of the cargo throughput in the region of which some of the landlocked countries like Niger, Burkina Fasso are expected to import through Nigeria. But instead of this, they prefer to import their cargoes through some of these smaller countries like Ghana and Benin. So, this conference will expose Nigeria’s potentials and capability to be on the council of AAMA.
“It is a big plus for the country. The reason is that Nigeria is a strategic player in the maritime affairs in the West African and Central African region. Nigeria controls over 70 per cent of the cargo throughput in the region and Nigeria is one place where you also achieve trans-shipment of cargo. But sadly, Nigeria is not on the council of International Maritime Organisation and the council is where decisions about maritime affairs across the globe are taken. AAMA coming to Nigeria to hold the conference is a deserving one. First, we have a country where over 6,000 ocean-going vessels call at our ports. We have a country where cargo throughput is more than eight African countries put together. So, you can’t be saying that you are big and it is not showing. From what we learnt, it is one opportunity for the government to begin to negotiate on the need to vote Nigeria. If you ask me, it is worth it.
Another good benefit is showcasing Nigeria’s economic potentials to the world. What are these potentials? Smaller countries that are landlocked like Niger, Burkina Fasso that don’t have water do importation. These countries can import through Nigeria and there is what we call trans-shipment. Nigeria has two largest ports in the West African region. There is no reason why they should not patronise the Nigerian ports. Tin Can and Apapa ports are the two largest ports in the region.
For countries in the landlocked areas to be going to smaller ports where they compete for space, AAMA is one opportunity to show them that we have the need and we also have the space for them to export their commodity. We have been talking more about import. The maritime potentials of Nigeria transcend even to export. We have the capacity to receive commodities from these landlocked countries and export for them.
With NIMASA’s recent drive for what they call sea-term training—sea-term training is a mandatory industry requirement for anybody who had undergone formal maritime training–Nigeria will not just train people for nothing. So, AAMA is one place where owners or Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of ocean miners will come. And if they say that they are looking for fresh hands that will serve on board their vessel Nigeria is one country they should look at. Nigeria is known to be the highest supplier of skilled and technically-competent maritime labour in the nearest future. So, if you don’t bring these CEOs under your roof, they may not appreciate you. All they will be doing to have knowledge about your country is to google your country. But when they are here, the administrator tells them what they have on ground. We have trained these under the Nigerian Seafarers Development Programme (NSDP).
Under the Nigerian Seafarers Development Programme (NSDP) we are going ahead to do sea-term training for the first batch of 400. And this first batch of 400 will not just work on ferry, they will want to work on ocean-going vessels that will earn foreign exchange for themselves and for the country. To a large extent, this will alleviate poverty for those persons and those around them. AAMA is another opportunity to show to the world that the Nigerian maritime domain is becoming really safer. The Gulf of Aden, the Gulf of Guinea are the most three notorious maritime hotspots. But with the concerted efforts of the Federal Government, our waters are becoming safer for ships and other crew members and for the cargoes on board these vessels. When we tell them these it can also attract investment into the country” Aniemu, said.
Another industry stakeholder and co-ordinator, Save Nigeria Freight Forwarders, Chief Patrick Chukwu said that the hosting will expose Nigerian maritime experts and equally launch the country back as the maritime hub in the West African sub-region. The hosting will inject more dollars into the country because most of the expenses will be in dollar.