The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Dr. Adegboyega Oyetola, on Thursday rolled out the achievements of his Ministry and its agencies in the past one year in the areas of maritime security and safety, port operational efficiency, infrastructure rehabilitation, connectivity and blue economy development.
Oyetola also unfolded the strategic plans of the Ministry and the agencies to continue to develop the Nigerian blue economy, with focus on maritime security, safety, shipping, ship building and maintenance, maritime governance , ports infrastructure rehabilitation, capacity building, among others, this year.
Speaking at a luncheon with members of the League of Maritime Editors and Publishers in Lagos, the Minister disclosed that in the past one year, Nigerian territorial waters and that of the Gulf of Guinea (GoG) have been very safe.
According to him, the Ministry has recorded zero incidence of piracy and maritime terrorism for more than one year.
“This achievement was reinforced by the procurement of seven 13m armoured patrol boats for flag, port and coastal state operators”, he said, noting that the world shipping community has been full of commendation for this effort.
He said that with improved security and safety on Nigerian waters and GoG, the chances of Nigeria in clinching the category “C” seat in the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) have been brightened.
He pointed out efforts at seaport infrastructure upgrade involving the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) to rehabilitate the Apapa and Tin Can Island ports, adding that this was to ensure that ports facilities remain efficient.
He disclosed that to upgrade the facilities, the NPA negotiated with a UK Export Finances (UKEF) for a $700m with Citibank Nigeria, stating that the upgrade is expected to generate at least 20,000 jobs.
In a further move to improve on ports operations, Oyetola said that Ministry, through the NPA has acquired a first of its kind in Africa, 80-ton two marine crafts, identified as Azimuth Sterm Drive model for berthing of large vessels.
On the area of facilitating trade and bringing ports nearer to the people, the Minister said the Ministry through the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) has commissioned the Funtua Dry Port to decongest the seaports.
According to him the Ministry through the NSC also launched an operational manual for Inland Dry Ports across the country, in Kano, Lagos, Aba, Funtua IDP and Jos IDP.
The manual is expected to guide operational processes, he said.
As part of the efforts to achieve ports operational efficiency, Oyetola disclosed about the plan for full roll out of the National Single Window initiative which is expected to eliminate human interface and deepen the efficiency of the ports.
According to him, the Ministry has been engaging the Nigeria Customs Service and relevant agencies of government to facilitate the rapid deployment of scanners, fast-track port processes, reduce congestion, and improve transparency at the ports.
He equally disclosed that his Ministry has initiated consultations to reduce the number of agencies at the seaports to a maximum of seven, explaining that this is to fast-track port processes and improve ease of doing business.
Oyetola also said that the NPA has reached the conclusive stages of deploying the port community system, stating that this is expected to eliminate delays , drive ports efficiency and block revenue leakages.
He stated, “The Ministry has completed the consultancy process for the Vessel Tracking System to improve revenue collection and block leakages”.
To reduce congestion, he said the NPA in partnership with Police, Navy and Lagos State Government have cleared the decade long traffic on Mile 2- Tin Can – Apapa port access roads, a development which according to him, has helped in reducing truck turn-around time.
Oyetola equally disclosed that to strengthen Nigeria’s competitive position, the Ministry through the NPA, has leveraged the Lekki Port to accommodate larger vessels and assure the recovery of lost cargoes.
He said the Ministry has embarked on efforts to adopt technology and modern equipment for port operations with the planned implementation of the International Cargo Tracking Note (ICTN)
On maritime security and safety for ferry operators, the Minister said there have been deployment of water ambulances by Nigerian Inland Maritime Authority (NIWA), security and surveillance of inland waterways, free distribution of 2000 high capacity life jackets, compliance with safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS).
He also disclosed that NIWA has recruited 350 water marshals to uphold safety standards at jetties across the inland waterways.
“The boat operators are not expected to exceed the capacity of the vessel”, he said.
To ensure safe navigation for vessels, he said the Ministry through the NPA procured and deployed fenders, buoys, bollards, pilot cutters, tugboats and waterfront security patrol boats for easy and safe navigation on waterways.
On ease of doing business, he disclosed that the Ministry along with its agencies, NIMASA and NPA achieved a 100% score on the PEBEC ease of doing business ranking by successfully completing the requirement of the action plan
The Minister noted that despite the achievements recorded so far, the Ministry and the agencies this year plan to carry out developmental activities and programmes in the areas of maritime security, safety, shipping, ship building and maintenance, maritime governance and capacity building, port infrastructure and connectivity.
Other areas the Ministry and its agency intend to carry out more activities and programmes include port efficiency, inland water transportation, fisheries and aquaculture, blue economy investments in coastal tourism, seabed mining, biotechnology and renewable energy.
On maritime security, the Minister said there is plan to: “establish the Nigerian Coast Guard as a key maritime security organization for the nation’s coastal waters and inland waterways, Establish a national network and coordination of all maritime domain awareness infrastructure currently operated in silos by various MDAs. For example, the Navy’s Falcons Eye System, NIMASA’s Command, Control, Communication, Computer and Intelligence Centre (C41), ETC. Establish a special court to try maritime r3elated offences/crimes”
On maritime safety, he said: “improve navigability of the waterways through wreck identification, marking and removal, install global maritime distress and safety system equipment in all the rescue sub-centres across the country”.
On indigenous shipping development , ship Building and maintenance, the Minster said there are plans to disburse the Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund (CVFF) and facilitate access to additional funding for vessel acquisition by the indigenous shipping companies.
On CVFF, the Director General of NIMASA, Dr Dayo Moberola, explained that the agency wants to ensure that the mistake of the past in which some indigenous shipping companies benefited from the fund and never repaid is avoided.
He said that more primary lending institutions have been engaged in the plan to disburse the fund.
The Minister also said there is plan to expand the domestic shipping fleet by establishing a national shipping line through public private partnership and automate the ship registry.
He made it clear that the plan for the national shipping line will be private sector driven, apparently in recognition of the fact that the former government owned Nigerian National Shipping Line (NNSL) failed and was liquidated in 1995.
On maritime governance and capacity building, he said, “finalise and launch the National Policy and Blue Economy. This document will set out the development goals, strategies and initiatives for the sector for the next 10 years to generate revenue and create jobs”
On infrastructure and connectivity, he said, “facilitate the ongoing development of critical maritime infrastructure in the country, deep seaports to be developed at Ibom, Badagry, Ondo and Bonny, Snake Island, Agge etc through PPP and completion of other inland dry ports at Jos, Bauchi, Ijebu Ode, Ogun.’
On port efficiency, “digitalize and automate all levels of ports process and procedures to ensure seamless , access to service, devoid of human interaction; establish electronic port management system (Port Community System);
“Streamline the activities and operations of all government agencies at the ports, implement the President Executive Order on Ease of doing business; Implement the the ICTN, execute and execute all necessary activities required to get accepted to Category C of the IMO.
In her welcome speech, the President of LOME, Mrs Remi Itie, had stressed on the need for the Ministry and the agencies to continue to carry out development plans in the maritime sector.
Itie also identified critical industry issues, including disbursement of the CVFF, ports efficiency, indigenous shipping development, national carrier, among others as imperative for the sector’s development.
Itie said, “It is the view of the League that as a maritime nation, the prolonged lack of a
National Carrier, remains a major disservice affecting the industry’s growth potential
“Based on our years of experience as a neutral judge of the industry, the League
Is of the view that our country has a weak Port Security and a defective, highly
politicized Shipping Capacity Development with poor systems. This should be
addressed. Also we have an immediate drawback in the unending regime of
WAIVERS granted industry players after 22 years of the implementation of the Cabotage Act.
“Similarly, The League also holds the view that successive politicking at the national level is the sole reason for the non disbursement of the Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund.
“The League is equally of the view that the National Seafarers Development Programme,NSDP, scheme which was designed as a stop-gap intervention and which has since become a regime is politically motivated and should be scrapped.
“Closely linked to the NSDP are the successive poor performances of Nigerian Cadets in the COC Examination and its concomitant negative impact on their resultant un-employability in the international labour market.
“Incidental to the above two last mentioned issues, is the absence of Cadets Training Ship and Cadets’ inability to conclude their training and certification for lack of available ships to do their mandatory Sea Time for their course completion schedule. Also, knowledge and Skill gaps, plus faulty recruitment process has been a major challenge in the Ministry that the Hon Minister should also address”.
Other concerns raised by Itie include, “ poor implementation of Cabotage Act, its associated and the unending regime of waivers.
“ The NIMASA Floating Dock as a national embarrassment and manifest evidence of ineptitude and lack of clarity should be urgently and purposefully addressed to redeem the ministry from its negative press”.
She added, “ Lack of legislative backing for its enforcement role seriously impeding the task of the Council as it stands helpless before operators who obviously appear to be above the laws.
On NSC, she said, “it is important that the Honourable Minister helps with the timely passage of the Council’s Amendment Bill to transmute NSC into a port regulator.
c). The Council has also been unable to sufficiently assert its authority in pushing down the regime of high shipping tariff that has made our ports the costliest in the sub region.
“ League is worried that the Council’s role in Cargo Tracking Note, appears bogged down by politics and we equally advise His Excellency, The Honourable Minister and his team to reflect on what should be done.
On NIWA, she also said,
“ Absence of navigable channels and access network for river ports appear to be the real challenge.
“ Sister Agencies overlapping roles and need to end unwarranted rivalry between NIWA and States’ Authorities, and to increase synergy in order to reduce over taxation of operators is essential if we must succeed in our collective desire to deepen growth.
“Subsisting Poor Capital and Maintenance Dredging issues
Issues of poor and inadequate waterways charting as they affect safe navigation and safety of lives.
On Maritime Academy of Nigeria, the League President added,
“The missing link is lack of Training Ship and Sea Time for Cadets
There should be a ministerial summit to brainstorm on the necessity for a training ship for cadets, even if it is a PPP model where the FG partners with the operators.
c). If the NSDP fund is channelled to MAN, it will make more impact in growing our capacity with respect to seafarers after all Philippines greatest revenue comes from seafaring development capacity and remittances”
The programme was attended by all the CEOs in the Marine and Blue Economy ministry.
