The Chairman of Ports Consultative Council, Mr. Otunba Folarin has called for the development of a long term Nigerian maritime sector plan to enable the nation know what the future holds for the maritime sector.
Otunba advised the federal government of Nigeria to take a cue from the Chinese government which has launched a comprehensive maritime sector plan for 2025.
“Nigeria needs to have a long term maritime sector plan that will tell where the nation’s maritime industry will be in the next 10 or 20 years. China has approved its maritime sector plan for 2025” he said.
The maritime veteran also noted that the lack of political will and corruption were the major issues impeding the growth of Nigeria’s maritime industry. He opined that only the injection of transparency, increased political will and the use of information technology would ensure that corruption and others ills facing the Nigerian maritime sector is curtailed.
“Once we have a good policy, we also need to have the political will to drive it. The Cabotage Act has been in existence for 11 years but the shippers have not benefitted from it. Lack of political will and corruption are the problems” Otunba said.
Otunba Folarin also lamented the little number of Nigerian owned vessels as he stated that 5417 vessels called at the Nigerian ports last year but less than 1% carried Nigerian flags.
