Nigerian Shipowners to Engage NNPC Over $120m Crude Carrier

VLCC is a very large shipping vessels with dimensions of up to 470 m (1,540 ft) in length, beam of up to 60 m (200 ft) and draught of up to 20 m (66 ft). But the standard dimensions of these ships range between 300 to 330 meters in length, 58 meters breath and 31 meters in depth.

They are known for their flexibility in using terminals and can operate in ports with some depth limitations. The cost of a VLCC ranges between $100 million to $120 million, depending on its age.

But speaking on Monday at the 4th edition of “A Day with Nigerian Maritime Students” with the theme, “Beyond Sea Time”, organized by Platforms Communications in Lagos, the President of SOAN, Dr. MkGeorge Onyung said there is need to have meaningful dialogue with the NNPC to talk about how the country can export crude in VLCCs that are manned by young Nigerian seafarers.

He said, “We pray that in my tenure, we are going to engage in issue based, focused engagements with the various authorities. We are going to engage NIMASA, we are going to engage NNPC, we are going to engage the customs, we are going to engage the Navy, we are going to engage all those that affect the ocean as ship owners because I told you that there is so many people in the ocean and the only people that floats on the waters are me and you on ships.”

“Therefore, there must be a leadership that must be thinking of the ocean because there is a responsibility that has to be taken on the ocean, there must be sustainability also of the ocean.”

Also, a former president of the National Association of Master Mariners (NAMM),  Captain Ade Olopoeniyan has called on the various government agencies in the maritime sector, maritime colleges as well as stakeholders to fashion out better ways of providing seatime experience for Nigerian cadets in order for them to have proper practical training on-board ships.

Olopoeniyan who unequivocally told the students that the fact remained that most of them would not have the opportunity to have practical training on a ship even though the conference was themed “beyond sea time”.

He said, “So, the government agencies that are here, the shipowners, stakeholders even the maritime colleges should begin to think of better ways of sea time for cadets so that they can have proper practical training onboard ships not just a ship staying at anchorage for twelve months then you come back and you have not learnt anything”.

He further informed the students that the sea career is very challenging but very rewarding as well adding that it is challenging in the sense that by the time one goes to sea after the studies and board ship on his own, there are so many obstacles that one should worry about even as he noted that it needs a lot of dedications, commitment on the part of the cadets.

“In my own case, I know that when we started, we were eight of us that started the career sea time but only five of us were able to make it. So, you have to be really dedicated, determined that you want to succeed.

“It is rewarding in the sense that by the time you are able to finish your first examinations and you get your certificate of competency, in this period where there is a lot of problems with employment, you go to University and you get a Degree, you can’t get a job, if you get a certificate of competency as a seafarer either as a deck officer or an engineer, you are going to get job, that is for sure.”

“And as Dr. Onyung has said, there are so many opportunities at sea, a lot of vessels are operating in Nigerian waters and are being manned by foreigners. If you can get more Nigerians qualify as competent seafarers, then, there won’t be any need for a lot of foreigners on our ships even on the coastal side. So, it is a rewarding experience.”