The Federal Government is doing everything possible to attract local and foreign investors to reposition the maritime industry in the post-pandemic era. The Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Ms Hadiza Bala Usman, last week, assured the stakeholders of this.
She, however, expressed worry over the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control’s (NCDC’s) directive mandating incoming vessels to wait at anchorage for 14 days before approaching berth.
The Managing Director said this was bound to worsen the ports congestion.
Speaking during a webinar tagged: COVID-19 and the Nigerian maritime sector: Lessons and the way forward, organised by Mike Igbokwe (SAN), said the Federal Government was determined to harness the vast potential of the port industry to boost economic growth.
The NPA chief said the efforts put in place by the President Muhammadu Buhari administration during the lockdown would make the sector a new attraction for investors.
Court Hands Two Men To 42 Years Jail Term For Armed Robbery
According to her, there needs to be free movement of vessels in line with the advisor issued by international bodies, including the International Maritime Organisation.
She stressed the need for government’s agencies to remain dynamic, open and engaging with stakeholders.
She said: “Some of these policies need to be taken one day at a time.
“So, in line with the IMO submission, member-states should ensure that vessels are given the necessary free passage into and out of ports.
“We all need to convince the Presidential Task Force and all stakeholders that priority should be given for vessels to come in and out as required.’’
Her management team, she said, had in about four years turned around the agency and placed it on a good position to continue to contribute to the growth of the economy.
“We have some challenges; so, we should not put in place additional barriers to prevent this inflow into our ports. Some of the submissions that we have had from the Presidential Task Force around having vessels wait for 14 days from any country that has above 1,000 infections.
“We have been engaging with the PTF to lift that because almost every sub-region has passed these numbers; so we cannot say vessels should stay for an additional 14 days. This is a big concern that has been ongoing with shipping companies.”
She pointed out that the vessels were not the ones typically infected by COVID-19 but the crew, adding: “I keep saying that it is better for us to have those around the crew because the crew could be the ones that have any form of infection as it were, and ports health and NCDC have the necessary protocol applicable to that.”
On May 30, President Muhammadu Buhari ordered cargo vessels coming into Nigeria to be quarantined for 14 days before they were allowed to berth.
The measures were announced when the President announced an initial 14-day lockdown of Lagos, Ogun states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) as part of efforts to curtail the spread of the coronavirus disease.
Also, the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 had directed a close watch on countries with a high rate of infection, as flights were banned from countries with over 1,000 cases.
The Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC), Mr Hassan Bello, reiterated that the maritime industry remains the backbone of international trade and that the sector has made remarkable achievements.
Also, a maritime lawyer, Mr Muhammed Oluwaseyi, who spoke on the sidelines of the event, said: “The maritime sector is on a journey. We are not where we are going yet, hence the government needs the continuous support of our stakeholders in our quest to realise a robust sector so that we can compete favourably with our counterparts in other climes,” he said.
Muhammed said there was the need for operators to embrace maritime arbitration to resolve issues which emanated from their business.
He said arbitrators had been in existence for more than 10 years, adding that the arbitrators had assisted several port operators to solve maritime disputes.
He applauded the Minister of Transportation for providing direction for the transportation sector and assured that lawyers would continue to champion the growth and development of the industry.
“The government cannot do it alone. It must continue to collaborate with the stakeholders so that we can fully realise our mission of promoting and regulating shipping activities in Nigeria,” he said.
Also, the President, Shippers’ Association of Lagos State (SALS), Mr Jonathan Nicol, urged the Federal Government to pay more attention to port infrastructure.
The government, he said, should position the ports to meet international best practices.
The President gave the charge in a chat with a sister national daily. He called for the resuscitation of the informal sector of cargo management. According to him, the informal sector will contribute about 45 per cent of the total cargo throughput (imports and exports).
He said there was the need to rebuild dead infrastructure at the ports to enable individuals to assist in nation-building
