An expert on Nigeria’s maritime and shipping industry, Engr. Greg U. Ogbeifun has lamented the several challenges hindering the progress of the sector.
Ogbeifun listed insecurity, lack of trained staff and certified bluecollar port Workers and lack of developed steel industry as the major challenges.
According to Engr. Ogbeifun, who is the Chairman Benin City River Port (BRP) Project Office of the Governor, other challenges are environmental and safety concerns, bureaucratic bottlenecks, inefficient ports, non-existent Nigerian Fleet trading globally and difficulty in accessing development funds.
Engr. Greg Ogbeifun listed these in a keynote lecture at the Maritime Law Association, 2023, 14th Annual General Meeting (AGM) and Panel Discussion in Benin City, with the theme: “Urgent Regulatory Reforms in the Maritime Industry: Setting the Agenda for the New Administreation.” He said in 2020, Nigeria’s maritime and shipping industry accounted for the carriage of over 95 percent of the exports and imports of Nigerian trade.
He disclosed that oil and gas which constitutes most of Nigeria’s exports and manufactured goods which are mainly imported into the country have a huge potential to contribute largely to the economic growth and create wealth for the country.
Ogbeifun said, “Although the maritime industry is Nigeria’s economic center of gravity and offers great opportunities for the growth and development of the nation, the industry is plagued by numerous challenges including regulatory bottlenecks, poor maritime infrastructure, inadequate flag administration, security concerns, unfavorable fiscal policies, inadequate funding, and inadequate supply of skilled personnel to name a few.
“As Nigeria ushers in a new administration, the need for urgent regulatory reforms in the maritime industry is essential to set a robust agenda that will address the challenges and unlock the full potential of Nigeria’s maritime and shipping industry.
“Nigeria’s natural maritime endowment base is vast and extensive with a coastline of more than 800km and an exclusive economic zone of over 200 nautical miles spanning 84,000sqm. Nigeria also enjoys very vast inland waterways estimated at over 3,000km comprising over 50 rivers, big and small with 8 of the 36 states having littoral status, capable of supporting a vibrant intra-continental and intra-regional trade and reputed as the longest inland waterways in the world.”
The maritime guru therefore suggested the review of the Nigeria’s flag register to make it internationally attractive, establish a maritime regulatory committee; close the gap in the efforts to achieve human capital development in the maritime sector, establish the Nigerian National Maritime Transport Policy (NMTP): and investment in technology.
He called for the establishment of a maritime regulatory committee, a dedicated committee comprising critical stakeholders, professionals and industry practitioners to oversee and coordinate the regulatory reform process with a mandate to develop a database of all relevant regulations and policies with a view to streamlining them as required for effectiveness in the activities of the maritime and shipping industry.
“It is suggested that such committee should include experts in maritime law, maritime security, shipping, maritime insurance, maritime professionals and practitioners. There is a very urgent need for this administration to conclude and implement the much talked about Nigerian National Maritime Transport Policy (NMTP).
“This policy is to develop a framework that will guide and moderate the activities, the operators, the practitioners and the modus operandi of activities in the marine and blue economy in order to harness their full economic potential,” stressed.
The President, Nigerian Maritime Law Association (NMLA) Mrs. Funke Agbor, SAN, said the ensence of the event was to enhance and promote the practice of maritime industry, and to make it to have a standard according to the international best practice.
Agbor thanked the governor of Edo State for sponsoring the programme and harped on the need to reform the sector.
“The body had been existing since 1977 with aims and objectives. What we came here to do is to advance the practice and knowledge of the Maritime Law. The association is made up of lawyers, and other industry stakeholders.
“So we are voice to the industry, particularly, relating to the development and modern practice to the Maritime Law. To ensure that the international conventions that affect maritime Law all over the world to be made effective to Nigeria, as well.
“One of our goals as role and function is that we are national branch of the Committee Maritime International, which is the oldest international body that had created its National Maritime legislation of the country of the members of the organisation,” she said.
