By Kenneth Jukpor
While Nigerian ports have suffered numerous challenges ranging from infrastructure deficits to negligence and corruption among the industry players, the future of the sector is mostly threatened by dearth in human capacity to inject the requisite innovation and the availability and non-implementation of the right policies in the sector.
In a bid to curb these unfortunate trends, the 11th International Maritime Ports and Terminals Conference and Exhibition was organized in Lagos last week with the theme; ‘Attracting Investment to Support Ports, Terminals And Logistics Growth’
Recall that a recent summit organized by the Association of Marine Engineers and Surveyors (AMES), veteran engineers, captains and former rear admirals decried the dearth of experienced engineers, seafarers to replace the ageing golden breed noting that there was no succession plan.
The 2018 edition of the annual event popularly known as NIMPORT (Nigeria International Maritime Ports and Terminals Conference and Expo) proffered some solutions to the major problems threatening the future of the nation’s ports and MMS Plus was there to bring you the high points.
As part of efforts to groom the future workforce and keep the younger generation abreast with the developments in the nation’s port sector, NIMPORT 2018 had a special segment for young professionals under the aegis of ‘Ship Young Nigeria’.
At the segment for young professionals, the participants were groomed on the prospects, challenges and vocational opportunities in the nation’s port sector and the maritime sector at large.
Speaking during this session, the African Regional Ambassador for Young Professionals in the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) Mr. Usman Shuaibu encouraged the participants to pick interest in the maritime sector noting that there were several opportunities for different professions in the sector.
Usman who works at the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) recalled his experience since joining CILT in 2015, “After joining the Institute in 2015, I was inspired by Africa Forum in Mauritius to revive the YP movement in Nigeria where I subsequently became Chair of the YP Executive Committee. I am excited by the speed with which YP participation has grown throughout Nigeria in such a short period of time.
He revealed that being part of the CILT family had broadened his understanding of the maritime industry and helped him develop professional networks in Nigeria and on the global scene.
As African Regional Ambassador I hope to support and energize existing members, encourage more African countries to participate, and advance the interests of African Young Professionals internationally.
“With over 65% of our population below the age of 34, we have a unique opportunity to grow the talent of our continent by inspiring YPs to seek new perspectives and maximize their potentials” he said.
Meanwhile, speaking to MMS Plus on the place of young professionals, the convener, Mr. Fortune Idu stressed that the youth segment was carved out to ensure there was a succession plan in the human capacity across various aspects of the ports and maritime administration and vocations.
“The idea is to encourage youths to participate across various aspects in the port sector” he said.
Speaking further on the essence of the event, he explained that the programme was designed to expose Africa ports, terminal and logistics market to international investors and operational technology partners.
“This year’s features varied development, commercial and technology papers from key industry leaders on the following subjects; Improving regional trade flow and removing trade blockages, Total logistics connectivity, Investment and Financing, Advancement in Port technology, Security in Maritime Corridors, Development of industrial terminals, logistics hubs and Free Trade Zones and improving regional cargo traffic and enabling Africa goods to find international market” he said.
Idu expressed confidence that the recommendations and deliberations at the event over the years helped shaped the nation’s policy framework for the port sector.
“The fact that the event has been ongoing for eleven years means it has been relevant. However, the achievement lies in the quality of deliberations and collective achievement of those who have been participating in the event in relation to nation building. A lot of solutions proffered for the industry at NIMPORT have been taken very seriously by the government and the results of the discussions we have had helped in repositioning the industry and helped in policy formulation and implementation as it relates to the logistics chain” he said.
Meanwhile, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Col. Hammed Ali (Rtd.) expressed optimism that effective implementation of policies and stakeholders engagement across various stages in policy development and implementation would lead to a better port sector.
The Customs boss maintained that the Customs wasn’t responsible for policy formulation, he stressed the importance of stakeholders’ input in new policies even as he encouraged operators to prioritize national interest and security over fiscal gains.
He also advocated for full compliance to the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreements as part of efforts to boost economic activities at the nation’s port and enhance the nation’s revenue.
“Nigeria is a signatory to the WTO agreement and the essence of that agreement is to facilitate trade across the globe and to empower every economy. It discourages barriers to trade such as tariff barriers, official barriers and provides a platform thriving on transparency. The agreement also introduces competitiveness among the trading communities or nations” he said.
Also speaking at the conference which attracted over 250 delegates, the Deputy National President of CILT Nigeria, Mr. Alban Igwe called on the government as well as private investors to explore the geographical benefits of Nigeria which sees the country placed at centre of the world.
Alban admonished Nigeria to learn from Singapore which had become a logistics hub in the world by building capacity, embracing innovation and ensuring the appointment of visionary leaders at the helm of government agencies that could transform the logistics industry.
He highlighted the relevant issues in transforming the port sector to include; warehousing, road infrastructure, railways, inland container depots, among others.
He also pointed out that Nigeria has not been consistent in the World Bank Logistics Performance Index, a problem he attributed to the dearth of capacity in the sector.
“We don’t have a lot of competence in logistics both in human and material capacities. We also need massive investment. Nigeria has been inconsistent in World Bank Logistics Performance Index moving backwards while neighbouring countries like Ghana and South Africa are moving upwards. It means so many things are going wrong and we are not doing well,” he added.
Experts have posited that a comprehensive maritime policy framework is a prerequisite for developing maritime infrastructure in the country; though a necessity, a comprehensive maritime policy framework wouldn’t miraculously transform the sector without the requisite human capacity.
The importance of the port sector to the economy of any nation can never be overemphasized. The reasons are overt because the ports play significant role in promoting the effective functioning of other sectors of the economy.
