Maritime sector, solution to dwindling economy – Reps

Chairman, House of Representative Committee on Marine, Ports and Harbours, Pat Asadu has said that if the sector was well positioned, it has the potential to boost the economy of the country in the face of a dwindling economy.

Asadu stated this during a familiarization tour of the Nigerian Ports Authority and a visit to the Nigerian Shippers Council.

According to him, from what we saw during the familiarization tour of the port, it is obvious that this country can only move forward. We may have our challenges but we have enough on ground in terms of manpower and resources to push this country to where Singapore is operating.

Reiterating the need to diversify the economy in the face of falling price of crude, he said if capacities are built Nigeria has the potential to earn more from the maritime sector than what is earned from oil.

“Because of cheap oil money, we abandoned our maritime sector. Fortunately, we have institutions that have started developing capacity like Shippers’ Council and the concessioning of the port. So with little that this committee, the Senate and the present government is going to put in, we can get Nigeria to earn as much; if not more than what we are earning from oil,” he said.

He acknowledged that the port reform exercise has brought a lot of efficiency in port operations despite identified challenges which he said would be looked into at a stakeholders meeting that will be held at a later date.

“Before the port concessioning in 2006, the sector was more or less an all comers game. Now we have gotten the terminal operators and the concession agreement in place. A few things has not been done the way it should be but as a committee, we are looking at a stakeholders meeting which we all will be part of where the identified lapses both on the side of the government and the operators would be addressed,” he said.

He said the purpose of the visit was to see what the council did with the money appropriated to it last year and what will be appropriated for it this year.

Earlier, Executive Secretary of the NSC, Hassan Bello said there is no better time than now to position the sector as an alternative to the country’s source of revenue.

He identified inconsistent government policies and inadequate support from government as some of the challenges faced by the council.