The Federal Government has received an interim report on the need to establish a strong and sustainable national fleet by the Nigerian Fleet Implementation Committee.
Receiving the report in Abuja, the Minister of Transportation, Mu’azu Sambo, said if Nigeria as a maritime nation gets its acts together, the country would have no business looking for money from the oil sector as a contributor to the Gross Domestic Profit.
He said, “I don’t know whether in the course of the committee’s consultations with other stakeholders, you were able to have some conversations with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) because, If the NNPC can give 100 per cent support, this matter can be closed in two months.”
Earlier, the Executive Secretary, Nigerian Shippers’ Council, who is also the Chairman, Nigerian Fleet Implementation Committee, Emmanuel Jime, said the Committee was commissioned by the immediate past Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Amaechi, to implement the recommendations in a report by an earlier ministerial committee on modalities for the establishment of a Nigerian fleet.
Jime who was represented by a member of NFIC, Umar Aminu, stated that the initiative was a way of responding to the non-participation of Nigerians in the carriage of Nigeria’s international cargo as well as the loss of freight revenue, jobs, and other benefits which could otherwise have accrued to the country.
He said, “In the course of carrying out the mandate, lessons have been learnt and some modest achievements have been recorded.
“These have been captured in this interim report which we are submitting today. The work is still ongoing and the goal of creating an enabling environment for the growth of a sustainable Nigerian fleet will be achieved in due course.
“There were challenges that impeded the quick realisation of the project as earlier envisaged. Shipping is international and competitive in nature and Nigeria cannot operate in isolation.”
