NIMASA kick-starts cessation of Cabotage waivers clause in phases-to enhance indigenous participation

Abiola Seun

Following the difficulty or near inability of indigenous shipping companies to carry Nigerian-generated cargo through the nation’s coastal waters, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), yesterday set out plans to end Cabotage waivers for foreign shipowners within the next two to five years.

The stoppage of the waivers clause which is in phases would allow indigenous shipowners take charge of Nigerian Cabotage trade.

Recall that the Coastal and Inland Shipping (Cabotage) Act 2003, which came into force in 2004, aims primarily to reserve the commercial transportation of goods and services within Nigerian coastal and inland waters to vessels flying the Nigerian flag, owned and crewed by Nigerian citizens, and built in Nigeria.

But, speaking during a stakeholders consultative meeting for cessation of Cabotage waivers in Lagos yesterday, the Director General of NIMASA, Dr. Dakuku Peterside said the agency is determined to bring to an end the waivers regime, so as to allow cabotage flourish in Nigeria.

According to him “Today is a very special day, for a very long indigenous operators that have been very concerned about cabotage waivers, their concerns coming from the fact that it appears that waivers is now a norm instead of exception and since they have been wondering when are we going to come to the end of this cabotage waivers regime.

“I want to say to them NIMASA has end your cry, NIMASA is on the same page with you, we have determined to bring to an end the waivers regime so that cabotage will flourish in Nigeria and Nigerians will benefit from coastal trade.

Dakuku further disclosed that the agency has taken preliminary steps to give Nigerian operators a strong footing in the Cabotage regime.

“We have taken a number of preliminary steps to give the Nigerian operators a strong footing in the cabotage regime. Sometimes in 2017, we published marine notice of the new cabotage compliance strategy and in that marine notice, we informed operators that we shall no longer entertain any form of application for manning waivers save for captains and chief engineers.

“At the time, it was for six months. It was a trial run and we noticed that on six months we literally double the numbers of Nigerians onboard vessels by simply publishing and enforcing the new cabotage compliance strategy.

“Also In 2018, we decided to extend it. After then, we  have series of  engagement with stakeholders to stop the waivers regime in the cabotage trade, today is an important step in that direction.

“As you know, it is the desire of every operators that we end the regime of waivers in the cabotage trade. And a lot of our people are concerned that we have not been able to built vessels  in this country. A number of Nigerians are onboard vessels, in the area of manning, there is an improvement and in terms of flagging, there are also a lot of improvement.

“But at NIMASA, we have taking strategic steps in the area of ship building, the country is looking at Ajaokuta steel mill again and I believe that once Ajaokuta comes on stream, it will remarkably improve our fold in ship building.

“Those engagement are going on. Is even going on at the highest level of government. We are engaging the office of the Vice President to look at the possibility of creating a number of incentives for those who can build vessels in this country and we believe if that is done, a number of persons and entrepreneurs will invest in building vessels in this country. We are even working in partnership with the Nigerian Content Development Monitoring Board (NCDMB), to that extent, we have commissioned a survey and audit of all building yards in this country with a huge to identify a level  of support we can give to enable them come back on stream fully.

“A bigger picture, is that in the next five years, we want certain category of vessels to be built in the country so that we will put an end to bring literally all vessels we need from outside the country and create jobs outside the country, whereas we are creating unemployment by patronising foreign built vessels.

“That is strategic steps we have taken in the area of owning vessels. We have also taking a number of steps to support local players so that they can own more vessels.

“We have engaged the Ministry of Finance and Customs to create a special tax regime to Nigerians who will bring in vessels in to the country”. He said.