The Federal Government has concluded plans to partner with the private sector to refloat the liquidated Nigerian National Shipping Line (NNSL).
The Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA); Mr. Patrick Akpobolokemi disclosed this in Lagos at a “National Workshop on Public- Private Partnership PPP, Strategy for Infrastructural Development and Modernisation in the Nigerian Maritime Sector”, organised by the agency in collaboration with the Infrastructure Concession Regulation Commission (ICRC).
Akpobolokemi said that President Goodluck Jonathan has tasked NIMASA to ensure that the national carrier is brought back during his regime.
This according to him is in addition to the Dockyard/Shipyard and Maritime University project in Okerenkoko, Warri in Delta State. The NIMASA boss assured that government is trying to do this by involving a Public Private Partnership (PPP) initiative in order to avoid the pitfalls that led to the liquidation of the Nigerian National Shipping Line (NNSL)
”When the NNSL got liquidated, it was because it was managed by government, so, in the next six months, working with the private sector, we want our shipping line back”
”When this comes on board, it solves the challenge of securing seatime for cadets, right now we are investing so much in seatime training, but perhaps we may just spend little of this money if we train them locally in addition to wealth creation, it is even a source of capital flight, it is uncalled for, it is a very big setback. “Therefore we are determined by the grace of God that in the next six months, we want to make sure this national carrier comes back and Mr. President has also told us to work on this national carrier issue to come to stay in his regime” Akpobolokemi stated.
He also tasked Nigerian Shipowners Association (NISA) to constantly mount pressure on NIMASA on the status of the national carrier project on weekly basis, because according to him, there must be no room for failures. “We can’t afford to disappoint Nigerians”, he assured.
