NIMASA: Freight rates for Nigeria cargoes to make imminent plunge

The Executive Director in charge of Maritime Labour and Cabotage Services, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Mr Gambo Ahmed, has said that freight rate for Nigeria bound cargoes are expected to take a plunge anytime soon.

This was stated after the commissioning of the maritime security surveillance portal by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, (NIMASA).

Speaking at the commissioning of the agency’s Command, Control Computer, Communication and Information system otherwise known as ‘C4i’, Ahmed, explained that goods are more expensive in Nigeria than elsewhere because it takes much more to bring these goods to Nigeria.

Ahmed, said that a secured maritime industry will attract more vessels to Nigeria and gradually the freight rates will begin to reduce.

He stated “Normally when the freight is high, a businessman will typically pass that additional cost to the consumers. So you find out what goods are more expensive here than elsewhere because it takes much more to bring goods to Nigeria.”

According to home “With what we are commissioning today, there is going to be a lot more in terms of security. Very soon we will have more vessels coming to Nigeria, you will see lower freight cost because with that insecurity is going to be largely addressed.”

Ahmed revealed that all hands are on deck to ensure that security personnel and other measures like helicopters and fast intervention vessels, are put in place for the purpose of securing the nation’s coastal and territorial waters.”

Also, Head of the Home Land Security International (HLSI), an Israeli firm contracted by the Federal Government to provide the new maritime security architecture, Mr Haim Ben Voon, told newsmen that deployment of this security equipment will reduce criminal activities on the waters and stop illegal fish-poaching in Nigeria