The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has
approved the report of the Ministerial Committee on
modalities for the establishment of the Nigerian
fleet in the maritime sector.
Amaechi, while receiving the report of the
committee in Abuja, pledged to provide the
necessary instrument for the implementation of the
recommendations of the committee. According to
him, part of the fund to be used in the
implementation of the report will come from the
Cabotage Fund.
The Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund was created
by the Coastal and Inland Shipping (Cabotage) Act
2003 to promote ship acquisition by supporting
ship owners.
Section 42, Part VIII of Section 44 of the Act
empowers NIMASA to collect and administer the
fund, under guidelines by the Minister of Transport,
after approval by the National Assembly.
Amaechi said: “Let me say that you are more
serious than I am on this and that I will give you
people the necessary instrument to implement it.
“Part of the fund we will use is the Cabotage
Fund.”
The minister warned that the criteria for choosing
who should benefit must be transparent.
He said: “How do you choose those qualified to
access the fund because in the 60 per cent you
would have, I am sure that most of you will want to
access the Cabotage money as part of your equity
contribution. “If you are selfish, I will pull it out. “It
means that I must not see your private interest.
“You must ensure that everybody’s interest is
involved, otherwise you will tear the maritime sector
apart.” Amaechi directed that the Executive
Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council should
commence the implementation of the report.
Earlier, the Chairman of the committee, Olu Akinsoji,
said that the report provided three categories of
maritime transportation that Nigeria could establish
a shipping company. Akinsoji listed them as wet
cargo, dry cargo, coastal/offshore support service
and facilities.
He said: “The road-map to the successful
establishment of a Nigerian fleet is the
implementation of this report as well as
repositioning NIMASA.
“Consequently, this report must not gather dust.
“On our part, we have taken a bold step to advice
the minister on the way forward by a simplified
table of action plan and an associated graphic
version.
“The plan emphasised the need for the
establishment of a Nigerian Fleet Implementation
Committee.” Akinsoji said the committee noted
significant barriers to the full realization of the
objectives of establishing a sustainable Nigerian
fleet.
