…As IMB declares Nigerian Waterways safe***
The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency
(NIMASA) has said the agency is engaging the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), to
create a single digit Interest facility for the local operators in the Maritime
Industry.
Speaking during a stakeholders meeting on cabotage waivers
on Wednesday, Dakuku said financing local operators in the Maritime industry is
a major factor inhibiting the Maritime industry, adding that the sector has the
potential of creating more jobs opportunities in the country.
According to him “Finance is one of the major factor
affecting us in the Maritime industry, and as you are aware, we
have engaged and we are still engaging with the CBN to create a single digit
interest facility for the maritime industry.
“Maritime industry has potential to create a lot of jobs but one of the challenges we have identified is financing maritime industry.
Also Read: NIMASA to end Cabotage clause, after 16 years
“The reason is simple, the gestation period for
maritime industry is a bit long and because it is long, the lifespan of an
average vessels is like 50 years. So you won’t finance it the same way you
finance an asset that will yield returns under 3 to 5 years.
“So we need to make them to understand how it works in our industry. With that level of engagement, we believe that very soon, there is possibility that CBN will create single digit interest facility accessible to our local operators and when it is accessible, we believe that they will be able to compete with their foreign counterparts and create jobs for our people.
“So in the area of owning vessels, we are looking at
tax incentives, we are looking at single digit facility and we are also looking
at a number of other incentives. We are conceptualising a job guarantee scheme
where National will engage with the Nigerian Content Development Board
(NCDMB), NAPIMS and other oil and gas players.
“if it could revive a number of vessels, we create jobs
for them and in exchange, they will create sea time for our people, so that we
will train more of our people. We are looking at a numbers of options and a
number of model, to support Nigerians to own vessels”.
Dakuku also informed that the agency is 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.
“Still on ship building, 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.
“We believe if that is done, a number of persons
and entrepreneurs will invest in building vessels in this country.
“We have commence engagement with Customs and Ministry
of Finance to look at the tax regime as the current regime is not favourable to
indigenous operators.
“What incentive can they create to enable our people
bring in components to build vessels in this country. What tax incentives can
they give to those who build ship in this country.
“What level of support? Those engagement are going on.
Is even going on at the highest level of government.
“We are even working in partnership with NCDMB to that
extent, we have commissioned a survey and audit of all building yards in this
country with a urge to identify a level support we can give and 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 bringing 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 taken a number of steps to support local players
so that they can own more vessels”.
Meanwhile the International Maritime Bureau (IMB), a
specialised department of the International Chamber of Commerce, has released
its report for the first quarter of 2019 showing an increased level of safety
in the Nigerian Maritime Domain.
The IMB Piracy Reporting Centre said no vessel was reported
hijacked in the period under review, marking the first time Nigeria had such
record since the first quarter of 1994. The report noted that in the first
quarter of 2019, Nigeria experienced a decrease in reported piracy incidents,
compared to the same period in 2018.
The report further stated that there was a great improvement
in the efforts to actively respond to incidents in the Nigerian Maritime
Domain.
The IMB Director, Pottengal Mukundan, disclosed that Nigeria was gaining
advantage from coordinated responses to incidents via its maritime regulatory
agency, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and the
Nigerian Navy. The Director called for sustenance of the collaborative
effort.
Pottengall stated, “These latest statistics from the IMB
Piracy Reporting Centre are encouraging. However, first quarter statistics
should not be a basis to anticipate trends through the rest of the year, as
it’s too short a period. It, nonetheless, confirms the importance of
information sharing and coordinated action between the industry and response
agencies. Going forward, it is critical to continue to build a more effective
reporting structure to enable a strong, unified response when dealing with
piracy incidents.”
Reacting to the report, the Director General of NIMASA, Dr.
Dakuku Peterside, stated that the Agency would continue to do all in its
powers, within the ambit of the law, to ensure that piracy in Nigerian
territorial waters was drastically reduced, if not eradicated. Dakuku said the
Federal Executive Council’s recent approval of the Deep Blue Project, which is
an all-encompassing maritime security architecture, was a clear demonstration
of the fact that the President Muhammadu Buhari Government was leaving no stone
unturned in its determination to tackle the menace of piracy.
The DG stated, “This report by IMB is not a surprise because
if you consider how seriously the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal
Government is paying attention to maritime safety and security, which led to
the approval of the Deep Blue Project geared towards tackling all illegalities
in the maritime sector, you would understand that these are the best times to
invest in maritime in Nigeria.”
Dakuku said the Agency will continue to collaborate with the
Nigerian Armed Forces, the Police and other relevant law enforcement agencies
to ensure that Nigeria became a hub of maritime business in Africa.
The IMB Piracy Reporting Centre, which is a 24-hour free service offered by the
IMB, enables shipmasters to report any incidents of piracy, armed robbery or
stowaway.
Since 1992, the IMB Piracy Reporting Centre has provided the maritime industry, government bodies and response agencies with timely data on the location of piracy and armed robbery incidents at sea.
Oluyinka Onigbinde
