News: Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Targets 5,000 Jobs from Crude Oil Lifting

The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) is set to end foreign domination of crude oil lifting, its Director-General, Dr Dakuku Peterside, has said.

This, observers said, will stimulate indigenous participation in the exercise, which could generate about N900 million daily.

Peterside, it was learnt, is pushing for indigenous shipowners to take over the lucrative enterprise to boost the economy and create employment for over 5,000 professionals in the sector.

The NIMASA boss told The Nation that local participation in the trade would be in the nation’s interest as it would create jobs, reduce crime, generate more revenue and ensure security at sea and the ports.

“There is no iota of doubt that the Federal Government through the Ministry of Transportation is determined to involve indigenous shipowners in crude oil lifting to provide jobs for Nigerians and put an end to foreign domination of the trade. Everybody knows that it would be more profitable for a Nigerian ship to lift our crude and the  Director-General of NIMASA Dr Dakuku Peterside can be trusted to deliver on that mandate,” a source at the Federal Ministry of Transport told this reporter.

Also, Nigerian Shipowners Association (NISA) member, Mr Fola Badmus, said there were many qualified Nigerians in this field, but that they had no jobs, adding that using foreign vessels was not in the best interest of the nation because when the dependent country has crisis, Nigeria may have challenges lifting its crude. He said at the last count, indigenous investments in the sector have created over 40,000 jobs across the hydrocarbon value chain.

“We will gain about N900 million a day, if we use our indigenous ships to lift crude oil. This is because the country carries million of barrels of crude a day at the rate of $2.50 per barrel,” he said, adding that the huge sum would have accrued to the country and created employment for at least 5,000 professionals in the sector.

”The advantage is that indigenous ships will get their foods, water, tug boats, chandelling, engineers and rags from Nigerians,” he noted.

Badmus added that the volume of vehicles being imported through the seaports had reduced drastically due to the introduction of the automotive policy by the past administration.

He said the hike in Customs duty on imported items had created jobs for neighbouring Benin Republic.

He alleged that over 80  per cent of fairly-used vehicles, popularly known as Tokunbo, being imported  through the Lagos ports were now destined to the Port of Cotonou, Benin Republic based on what he called the failure of the auto-policy

“The volume of imported vehicles into the country has reduced drastically since the Federal Government banned the importation of used vehicles through the land borders to enhance the implementation of the auto policy,” he noted.

A senior official of one of the terminals at Tin Can Island Port, Apapa, Lagos, who craved anonymity, said the policy had increased the volume of vehicles being imported through  the seaports.

He, therefore,  urged President Buhari not to halt the policy’s implementation to bring succour to terminal operators.

“Before the introduction of the auto policy, we were discharging 5,000  to 6,000 vehicles every month. It is a pity that we were doing less than 1,200 vehicles before the government banned the importation of vehicles through the land borders and the new policy has assisted us in servicing our equipment, pay NPA and salaries at the end of the month.

“We have noticed that the number of vehicles coming into Cotonou has reduced dramatically. Everyone can understand what this means to the economy. This policy is surely affecting the port industry and this is affecting the economy of the country positively because we read in one of your reports that smugglers were using many un-approved routes around Idiroko border in Ogun State to bring their vehicles into the country. That  has been reduced to the lowest ebb with the embargo placed by the Federal Government,” he said.

He, however, said many Nigerians could not afford to buy the imported used vehicles because of the 35 per cent duty placed on them, urging the Federal Government to review the auto policy.

Source: The Nation