We have not done well on cabotage implementation -Dakuku.

Dapo Olawuni |

The Director General of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency(NIMASA), Dakuku Peterside has acknowledged the failure of Cabotage regime 16 years after its implementation.

He lamented that the agency can not drive the Cabotage regime alone without the collaboration of stakeholders.

While speaking at the stakeholders’ forum organised by alumni of Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN), Oron, Dakuku disclosed that the agency has placed 7000 seafearers on board of sea going vessels since the implementation of the cessation of cabotage waivers.

Dakuku declared that with this feat, Nigeria is the only African country with the highest number of seafarers listed onboard international vessels

Out of the 7,000 so far employed, he noted that Maerskline Shipping Company has 34 Nigerian seafarers onboard her international vessels. He said, no other African country has been able to achieve that.

Mr. Peterside, also lauded the initiative of the Nigerian Seafarers Development Programme (NSDP), adding that though the implementation has not been thoroughly monitored.

He however, expressed regret that within 16 years of operating the Cabotage Act, Nigeria has not been able to build vessel in country owing to certain challenges.

According to him, “NIMASA alone cannot achieve the aspirations, intents and objectives of the Cabotage Act. I believe that we have not done very well but there is need for improvement. The greatest thing that can happen to us to achieve the Cabotage law is collaboration and cooperation”

“If we leave NIMASA to drive the Cabotage law, till tomorrow, we will not achieve anything. But if the regulator, stakeholders and industry all come together, that is the only way we can achieve the aspiration of the Cabotage law.”

“We have started a process of cessation of granting of waivers which all of us agreed has been abused over time. In the area of manning, we have put in place what we call the new Cabotage compliance strategy. In the past few months, we have had 7,000 Nigerians placed on board vessel. That is the highest record we have had from the inception of the Cabotage regime till date because there is a determined programme not to grant waivers.

“We are going to create incentive for those who are going to build vessels in-country. Our sister agencies will not bring vessels from outside, they must patronize vessels built in Nigeria and we as NIMASA will lead by example.

“On importation of certain categories of vessels, we have gotten the buy-in of Customs, Central Bank, NNPC and other stakeholders because certain categories of vessels cannot be built outside this country by the end of next year,” he said.

Peterside commended the indigenous ship owners in Nigeria, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) and Alumni Maritime Academy of Nigeria Oron(AMANO) for building Ship locally.

The event whose theme is Cabotage Act: 16 Years After, brought together the Creme de La Creme of the shipping industry in Nigeria take a critical review of the Cabotage Act and to ascertain if the focus, and direction of the Act after being operational for over 16 years have been in line with the aims and objectives.

Dr. Dakuku noted that if Nigeria starts to build ships, it will lead to improvement in skills acquisition, create more employment, retention of scarce foreign exchange as well as foster improvement in the area of infrastructural development.