MARITIME THIS WEEK: Recap of News and Event

Abiodun OBA

Nigeriamaritime360.com on Monday September 23, beamed its searchlight on Maritime Agencies as Strange Bed Fellows

The magazine said on September 12, 2019, during the third maritime stakeholders conference in Lagos, Hassan Bello, the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, made a startling revelation about the ways and manner in which government agencies in the industry are working at cross purposes.

By inference, Bello pointedly accused the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) of undermining the efforts of the Council to crash shipping charges at the ports.

To nigeriamaritime360.com, Bello’s ‘outburst’ was instructive which gives an insight into the working relationship among the agencies of government in the maritime industry.

The magazine implored the agencies to see themselves as partners in the business of making the Nigerian Ports greater and better.

It advised that for the fact that each of these agencies derives its position and authority over matters of mutual interest from the Act establishing it should not be an excuse not to work together with other agencies for the common goal of developing the industry.

Also on Monday, there was Bomb scare in Manchester Airport in the United Kingdom

Bomb disposal officers carried out a controlled explosion on a suspicious package at Manchester Airport, police said, adding a man had been detained by officers at the scene.

Flights were unaffected but transport to and from the airport were stopped while officers assessed the suspect package.

“A cordon is in place at Manchester Airport transport interchange and people are encouraged to follow directions from officers,” Greater Manchester Police said in a statement.

“Trams, trains and buses are currently suspended to and from the airport interchange.”

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24

Railway: two sets of Diesel Multiple Units (DMU) for rail stations – FG

The Minister of Transportation, Mr Rotimi Amaechi says two sets of Diesel Multiple Units (DMU) made up of motor car and coaches of various classes would be made available to address the upsurge of passengers at railway stations across the country.

Amaechi on Tuesday said the additional coaches would solve the problem of high demand for the services.

He said: “We delivered Abuja-Kaduna, but the pressure is now high with the influx of passengers. We started with about 300 passengers, now we are doing 2,500 passengers, nearly twenty times the number.

“We placed order for some more coaches because the problem is not e-ticketing as they say, but the demand has by far outweighed the supply. By November we should be able to launch 10 more coaches to help address this challenge.”

WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 25, 2019

AfDB rolls out $500 million dollars green baseload scheme … scraps coal power stations across Africa

Dr Akinwumi Adesina, President, African Development Bank (AfDB) has revealed plans to scrap coal power stations across Africa and switch to renewable energy.

According to a statement issued on Wednesday by the bank, Adesina revealed the plan during climate talks at the sideline of the ongoing United Nations General Assembly.

Addressing a gathering of leaders and officials from 200 countries in New York, Adesina outlined efforts to shutter coal-fired power plants and build the “largest solar zone in the world” in the Sahel belt.

“Coal is the past, and renewable energy is the future. For us at the AfDB, we’re getting out of coal,” Adesina said.

He emphasised that the bank’s 500 million dollars green baseload scheme would be rolled out in 2020.

THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 26, 2019

Amaechi harps on need to address arbitrary charges in African ports

The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi has identified high freight rates, arbitrary imposition of charges as the menace bedevilling African ports.

Amaechi said this on the occasion of the sub-regional workshop and Joint Standing Committee Meeting of Union of African Shippers’ Councils (UASC) organised by the Nigerian Shippers’ Council and the Union of African Shippers’ Councils (UASC) in Abuja.

He stated that there was the urgent need to proffer lasting solutions that would address such arbitrary and unjustifiable costs.

Amaechi said the problem had been an obstacle to the development of international trade in the region.

He therefore called on members of the Union to “re-appraise and proffer workable solutions to matters relating to negotiations on freight rates, transport costs, port charges and other issues affecting transportation of cargo in the region”.

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 27, 2019

WIMA-Nigeria hosts 2019 Conference to empower Nigerian Women in maritime sector

The President of Women in Maritime Africa (WIMA-Nigeria) Nigerian Branch, Hajia Bola Muse, said that the 2019 conference of the association would empowered more competent women for effective participation in the maritime industry.

Muse made the disclosure at a press briefing held on Friday in Lagos as part of preparations for the forth coming annual conference of the association.

According to her the conference with the theme “Empowering Women for Effective Participation in the Maritime Sector” scheduled to hold on October 15, 2019 is aimed at improving women participation in the industry.