A cross section of participants at the training.
The need to properly equip journalists in the area of proper knowledge of the nitty gritty of operations within the maritime space and for the dissemination of information formed the fulcrum of the one day training workshop for the journalists by the Nigerian Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA). The workshop had the theme: Regulating the maritime industry: The NIMASA perspective.
The workshop which took place at the Litack Kim Regional Maritime Safety and Security Centre of Excellence Centre within the NIMASA facility at Kirikiri, Apapa Lagos on Wednesday had two resource persons delving in two different topics that are really germane to the development of the maritime sector of the Nigerian economy.
The first paper presented was titled ‘NIMASA’s Role in Nigeria’s Participation in International Shipping Trade’, the resource person was Anthony Ogadi, retired Director, Shipping Development, NIMASA.
Mr. Ogadi in a bid to get the undivided attention of every participant at the venue made a shocking , but rather factual assertion that “No Nigerian company has ever freighted a drop of Nigerian crude oil out of Nigeria”, this truly got the attention of all participants there.
He went on to give an overview of the potentials in the shipping business in the country, noting that Nigeria has about 850km stretch of coastline, 7 ports, 28 crude oil terminals, hub to West and Central Africa, bordering 2 landlocked countries (Niger and Chad), having over 200 million people as population, with over 623 million tonnes of wet, dry and gas cargoes on annual basis.
One of the resources persons making his points as he is silhouetted against the screen.
Mr. Ogadi added that Nigeria has 16 to 22 million barrels of oil reserves, 5 years freight value of about ₦32 trillion averaging ₦6 trillion per annum, largest ship owning country in Africa and 33 on the global list, 291 vessels totalling 7.94 million deadweight tonnes and 30th place in world fleet value with a 0.56% share. He laid out a ten year analysis of cargo through put in Nigeria and noted that between 2010 and 2019, Nigeria had 775.7 million metric tons of cargo and that a 10 year export value of crude oil between 2013 and 2023 amounted to ₦22.1 trillion.
Mr. Ogadi’s PowerPoint presentation showed a chart of about 13 shipping companies operating in and out of Nigeria and noted that there is no single Nigerian ocean liner involved in all maritime businesses as at the day.
His lecture took participants through the era of the Nigerian Maritime Authority (NMA) from 1987 to the present reality of the agency transmuting to NIMASA in 2007 and the key comparative advantage that this has given the country.
Mr. Ogadi noted that “Freights are additional income to the cost or cargo if shipment is self carrying meaning that countries that generate cargoes as well as shipping them by their own vessels stand the chance of double advantage earnings from freight and cost most probably in the insurance cover on cargo and haul”.
Mr. Ogadi chipped in a rather funny story about the rail project that was embarked upon by the last administration where the former Minister for Transportation went to China to sign the rail project contract. He noted that after the agreement, the Minister came back to Nigeria feeling proud of his achievements, called in all the heads of units of the various agencies that were under him and told them that he has ‘brought jobs for them’. The Minister was told that there was ‘no job brought in for anybody because all the components of the project including loan financing, shipment, internal transportation, employment of staff, construction and up to the very last aspects of the whole project have been conceded to the Chinese.
He detailed the whole gamut of maritime administration from the NIMASA perspective and concluded that the Federal Government through NIMASA has “Positioned the maritime
Industry on a trajectory of growth and indigenous participation”.
The second paper was presented by Barrister Peter Agbaminoja, deputy director/SA to the executive director operations, NIMASA. It dwelled on the topic: Understanding the International Maritime Regulatory Framework.
Some participants in a photo session with Mr. Osamgbi, sixth from the left during the programme.
Mr. Agbaminoja worked also with the powerpoint presentation of the history of the maritime known world from 2,000 years ago and traced the events that led to having agreed maritime legal frameworks to operate with to this day.
Mr. Agbaminoja took participants through the formation of the International Maritime Organisation and its various conventions, the International Labour Organisation and its rules, the formation of the League of Nations which later culminated into the United Nations.
He spoke on the various events that brought about the need for setting of standards, the signing or treaties and the reaching of conventions like the sinking of the Titanic in 1912, the end of the first world war in 1919 and the end of the second world war in 1945 while also adding that issues such as the sinking of other ships brought about the enhancement of exant laws.
The Director, Administration and Human Resources at NIMASA, Mr. Isichei Osamgbi also spoke briefly at the event. He said that “The maritime industry holds the key to the future of the Nigerian economy”. He added that “The media can make or mar the Nigerian situation and so we should carry out our duties to help enrich the industry. There is no great nation on earth that is not a maritime nation and it is our turn as media people to help to make Nigeria great”. He concluded.
For advertisement and more information, please contact us on 08027590195, 08035721540 or email us at [email protected] or send us messages on x @dn_utomi or on Instagram @utomidili.
