By Uzor Odigbo
The Director General of Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Bashir Jamoh, has described the nation’s maritime industry as the easiest way to achieve economic diversification from oil dependence.
Jamoh, who stated this when he delivered a lecture at the National Defence College (NDC) in Abuja, said that the maritime sector provided the viable alternative to the oil sector.
The lecture, titled, “Maritime Security and National Development in Nigeria: The Role of NIMASA,” was for NDC Course 29 participants.
According to a statement by Philip Kyanet, Deputy Director in charge of Public Relations, Jamoh identified various sub-sectors of the industry that could be relied upon for development.
Jamoh said that maritime had enormous potential to drive sustainable development in Nigeria, with huge investment opportunities in shipbuilding and repairs, offshore/floating spare parts sales and maintenance, freshwater bunkering and supply, dredging, and inland waterways transportation.
Added to the fact that about 75 per cent of all Gulf of Guinea-bound cargo are destined for Nigeria, he said if properly harnessed, maritime could give the country 30 times more than the revenue from oil.
Oil contributes about 70 per cent of government revenue and nearly 90 per cent of foreign exchange earnings in Nigeria. But Nigeria is trying to move away from the near total dependence on oil.
Jamoh stated, “Judging by a simple maritime resource mapping, and also research by reputable local and international organisations, it is clear that our marine environment can give us annually 30 times more than what we get from oil. There is boundless opportunity for investment in the sector, given the right conditions.”
The director-general decried the effect of maritime security issues on Nigeria and enumerated steps taken by the country to tackle the problem.
These include the promotion of worthy maritime governance system, maritime infrastructure development, and investment in maritime security. He said the fiscal and monetary interventions by government, recent arrangements for better management of the NIMASA modular floating dock, and stakeholder support systems were part of efforts to enthrone good governance in the sector.
