By Uzor Odigbo
A former National President, Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) Tony Nwabunike has urged the Minister to allow experts drive the Port System, describing the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy as old wine in a new bottle, as well as calling on the Minister, Adegboyega Oyetola not to compromise bogus and nebulous contracts to unprofessionals or politicians.
The frontline freight forwarder explained that all activities of the new ministry were previously under the purview of the Federal Ministry of Transportation and much has not been achieved since its establishment.
The former pioneer Chairman, Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) who was represented presented a paper themed: “Automation of Port Processes as an Essential Factor for a Sustainable Blue Economy”.
According to him”, lt is imperative to remind us that the blue economy is about harnessing the benefits of the marine sector without compromising the environment—not about frittering away our gains through bogus and nebulous contracts.
“I would like to posit, without fear of contradiction, that the new Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy is simply old wine in a new bottle. This is because almost all the activities of the new ministry were previously under the purview of the Federal Ministry of Transportation. Therefore, we find ourselves in familiar territory, despite the new name, which is merely a matter of semantics and nomenclature adjustment.
He also affirmed that the Maritime sector has the capacity to provide over 30,000 direct jobs which according to him, remain untapped in the marine and blue economy sector, covering fishing, underwater mining, tourism, agriculture, water transportation, hydropower, and other sub-sectors.
However, he lamented that political will, technology, and commitment are needed to unlock these opportunities.
Apparently determined to proffering solutions to the new ministry, Nwabunike called on the federal government to allow the port system to be driven by experts, adding that sustainable blue economy requires robust public-private sector collaboration.
He stressed that technology procurement should not be encouraged for political patronage or as a means to reward loyalists, pointing out that” : Port automation and technology must be integrated into the National Single Window (NSW) system with the involvement of key industry stakeholders. Training programs for port users at various stages are essential