…Nigeria annually imports $125m fishery products from Norway – Ambassador***
The Federal Government is presently fine tuning a plan to procure and import about 100 locomotive wagons before December, to aid the evacuation of goods from the ports by the railway.
The Transport Minister, Chibuike Amaechi disclosed this on Monday, at the 2017 World Maritime Day, organised by the ministry in Lagos, while deliverying a goodwill message.
“The ministry is worried by the time- waste on ports and, therefore is reviewing policies, with a view to improving cargo transportation.
“With effective rail transportation of goods from the ports to the hinterland, less pressure will be on the roads and goods will get to destinations more secured and at less costs,’’ Amaechi stated, stressing that Government is determined to entrench global best practices, by ensuring that only agencies authorized by President Mohammadu Buhari were allowed in the port, while the rest function on adhoc basis.
“Only agencies which were part of the presidential approval in 2017 are permitted to domicile within the ports; all other agencies must come in only when they are required.
“Therefore, there is the need for all maritime agencies to synergise to improve efficiency in our ports,’’ the Minister indicated, highlighting challenges inherent in the country’s inland waterways and ports operations, and were affecting efforts at diversifying the economy.
He was particularly impressed by the theme of the celebration: “Connecting Ships, Ports and people’’, which he explained was aimed at building on the 2016 World Maritime Day the me of “shipping: Indispensable to the World’’.
According to him, the theme is tasking member states of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) to develop and implement relevant maritime strategies via inter-agency synergies towards jointly addressing a whole range of common challenges.
“This includes the facilitation of maritime transport, increasing efficiency, navigational safety, protection of the marine environment and maritime security”, he posited, adding that IMO was ready to contribute to achieving the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a response to the challenges facing the world at the moment.
He mentioned the challenges to include increasing world population, climate change, threats to the environment, unsustainable exploitation of natural resources and threats to food security.
“More efficient shipping will be achieved through working in partnership with the port stakeholders while government provides the enabling environment, thus efficient shipping will be a major driver toward global stability in sea transport and sustainable development for the good of the people.
He noted that the Federal Government has approved an Executive Order on Ports Operations to improve efficiency at the facilities; lauding Government on the success it has already recorded on its diversification of the economy; the level of success on the concessioning of Onitsha River Port, even as others like the Lokoja, Baro and Oguta River Ports were on the Buhari administration’s priority list.
He also revealed that measures were similarly being pursued on regional and sub-regional levels, to curb insecurity in the Gulf of Guinea.
The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) organized 2017 essay winners later got cash awards and to commemorate the day.
Meanwhile, the Norwegian Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Kjemprud Jens-Petter has observed that Nigeria only imports fishery products worth $125 million (N45 billion) from his country annually.
Jens-Petter indicated this in Lagos on Monday, noting that the fishery imports from Norway consisted largely of stock fish, mackerel and salmon.
“Annually, Norwegian fish exports to Nigeria stand at $125 million and these include stock fish, pelagic fish, mainly mackerel and salmon.
“We are interested in expanding our market access and consider the upper market salmon to have further potential.
“Ideally we believe it would be possible to double our exports considering the huge Nigerian market and the current recovery of the Nigerian economy,’’ he said, pointing out that the Nigerian-Norwegian Chamber of Commerce (NNCC) was already working with his embassy to attract Norwegian investment and cooperation for the development of Nigeria’s fishery industry.
The Norwegian envoy said that his home government, through its organisation: Innovation Norway, was prepared to support and share technical expertise with Nigerian fishing companies in boosting local fish production.
He said that the Norwegian government was also interested in the development and exportation of Nigerian seafood to Norway, highlighting that NNCC and Norwegian fish exporters and aquaculture companies have exchanged visits on how Nigeria could equally achieve bumper fish production, locally.
