Uche Cecil Izuora
Indigenous capacity development for the Nigerian maritime sector under the cabotage regime remains priority will remain top priority of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and safety Agency (NIMASA).
The Director-General (DG) of the Agency Dr. Dayo Mobereola, said he will pursue the agenda firmly as that will open opportunities for indigenous firms to expand their operations in the sector.
The DG stated this on Tuesday while on a tour to Marine Platform’s African Pioneer Lagos Vessel.
African Pioneer Lagos Vessel, with IMO Number 9808613, is a Nigerian-flagged offshore Diving Support Vessel (DSV) measuring approximately 143 metres in length with a deadweight of about 8,000 metric tonnes. The vessel is equipped to support specialised deep water subsea construction, diving, inspection and offshore oil and gas operations.
According to him, “I’m quite happy at what I have seen today after the tour of this 8,000 metric tonnes African Pioneer Specialised Vessel. A vessel such as this flying the Nigerian flag should have priority over any foreign vessel. We are automating the Nigerian ship registry to make it more attractive and to ensure that more vessels like this fly the Nigerian flag”.
Also, the Chief Executive Officer of Marine Platforms Limited, Mr. Taofeek Adegbite, acknowledged that his company has benefited from the Cabotage regime. He also noted that he is proud of the Nigerian flag on all Marine platform vessels operating in Nigerian waters.
He said, “since 2012, when we got our very first vessel Mt. African Vision, we are happy and proud to say NIMASA’s Cabotage Regime and the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board Act has played a major role in ensuring that our vessels have contracts on a regular basis. We have no regret flying the Nigerian flag and I will invite more ship owners to register their flags in the Nigerian Ship registry. At the moment we would appreciate a classification in such a way that the crew who are operating very big vessels are given special attention so that more very large vessels can fly the Nigerian flag”.
Adegbite expressed appreciation to NIMASA for her support, noting that the vessel demonstrates the capacity of Nigerian companies and professionals to operate to international standards. According to him, flying the Nigerian flag provides greater opportunities for the development of indigenous maritime manpower.
He remarked that countries such as the Philippines are globally recognized for seafaring while Norway is renowned for shipbuilding, stressing that Nigeria could similarly develop a globally recognized area of maritime specialization