Indications are rife that efforts by the Nigerian government to float a new national shipping line may end up being another wild goose-chase following inactivity surrounding the process of establishing the new national liner.
This is even as members of the technical committee saddled with the responsibility of coming up with a roadmap on how the new national carrier will be structured have complained of lack of necessary impetus and support from appropriate authorities.
The Federal Government had, in the last quarter of 2016, constituted a Technical Committee to screen shipping operators interested in acquiring part of the 60 per cent holding stake for Nigerians in the proposed new national fleet, which was expected to have 40 per cent foreign ownership structure.
However, almost a year after setting up the Technical Committee, nothing seems to have been heared about the National carrier, even as members of the committee believe support and necessary impetus from appropriate authorities is lacking.
Speaking exclusively to Nigeria Tribune, a prominent member of the Technical Committee on the national shipping line, who also doubles as the chairman of the Ship Owners Association of Nigeria, (SOAN), Mr Greg Ogbeifun, stated that the Technical Committee has done its part of the national shipping line project, but that necessary support and impetus from appropriate authorities was not forthcoming.
According to Ogbeifun, who is also the Chairman/CEO, Starzs Investments Group, “As much as I will like to share my personal view on this matter, it will be improper since the committee, which I am a member, has a chairman in the person of the Executive Secretary/CEO of the Nigerian Shippers Council, Hassan Bello. He is the only one authorised to comment on the activities of the committee
“However, all what I can say is that the committee has done extensive work that it can do, but the necessary impetus and support from appropriate authorities is not there.”
On the pathetic state of ship-owners in the Nigerian maritime sector as regards vessel acquisition and capacity building, the Starzs Investment Group boss bemoaned the non-readiness of government to help salvage the ship-owners’ situation.
In his words, “The situation is quite ugly and pathetic. There seems no seriousness on the part of government to support the survival of the fast collapsing shipping industry. The Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund (CVFF) which belongs to the ship-owners, we hear is held up in the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
“Most ship-owners have gone bankrupt. They cannot run their ships. They cannot manage their ships. For few that are getting opportunities, there are no funds to execute such opportunities. Right now, it seems there is no will power from government to do what seems right for the fading ship-owners.”
It will be recalled that Nigeria and Singapore recently reached an agreement to establish a private sector driven National Carrier with stake-holding of 60 to 40 per cent respectively. The agreement was reached after a meeting in Singapore between the Nigerian delegation led by the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers Council, NSC, Hassan Bello, and representatives of Pacific International Lines (PIL), one of the biggest global ship operators.
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