By Innocent Orok
The Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr Dayo Mobereola, has said that Nigeria will not establish a National Carrier, instead will encourage Nigerians to own vessels.
The NIMASA boss also revealed that a powerful cartel within the international insurance sector is behind the collection of War Risk Insurance Premiums ( WRIP) charged on Nigerian- bound cargoes.
Mobereola who speak on sundry issues during an interactive session with the maritime media in Lagos on Monday, stated that the agency is seeking the support of international maritime organizations including the United Nations to compel the insurance companies to reduce the premium, also noted that despite a significant reduction in piracy and sea robbery incidents in Nigerian waters and Gulf of Guinea, the persisting premium has continued to add to the cost of trade for Nigeria.
He said, “One of the points I raised during my visit to Chatham House is how the War Risk Insurance placed on Nigerian-bound cargoes can be reduced. “It is a cartel that is behind the War Risk Insurance Premium. They are making so much money from it and will rather keep it as it is than remove it. “Even if Nigeria maintains zero piracy on her waters for the next ten years,if we don’t force the issues they will continue to charge us. They won’t remove the war risk insurance because they are making so much money from it.”
He noted that Nigeria alone cannot challenge the insurers, but with the support of international maritime organizations and the United Nations, the country can compel them to reduce premiums in line with actual risk. “In all honesty, Nigeria alone cannot do it. We need the international maritime organisations to be with us to meet these insurance companies, ” he said.
On issuance of Certificate of Competency (COCs) and Officer of the Watch (OOW) certificates, Mobereola said the agency is working to address the issue and non acceptance or limitation of these certificates by other maritime nations across the world.
Speaking also on the controversial NIMASA Modular Floating Dock , he said efforts are ongoing to put the modular floating dock into use to generate revenue and employment. He, however rejected the call to deploy the equipment to its initial plan, which was to be deployed to the Niger Delta region and stationed at the Nigerian Maritime University.
“The initial plan for the floating dock was not the right one. We are going to put the Modular Floating Dock to very good use so that once it’s in operation, it will benefit the economy, seafarers, and NIMASA itself. We need to place the modular floating dock in an appropriate location. It is just a matter of time; we will soon get that done.”
Another controversial issue the NIMASA boss responded to was the non disbursement of the over 20 years old Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund (CVFF), Mobereola said the agency is carefully planning its disbursement to avoid past mistakes experienced during the defunct Ship Acquisition and Ship Building Fund (SASBF) and ensure its benefit to the Nigerian shipping industry.
According to him, the CVFF, which is currently with the Federal Government, will be disbursed to deserving shipowners to support shipping development in Nigeria. He explained that the CVFF fund is not only about acquisition of vessels, but the demand for steady supply of cargo for the vessels to carry.
“You’ll recall 25 years ago when some of these resources were disbursed, they were lost. They were given to the wrong people. There was no benefit to the nation and the ship owners who were contributing to it.
“So in this case, we are looking for opportunities to ensure that when we start the disbursement of CVFF, it will be for the benefit of shipping promotion in Nigeria and it will not be a start and stop. It will be something that wil help us to continually develop the sector. So it is those strategies we are working and looking at,”. Mobereola assured that NIMASA is working on fine-tuning the modalities for disbursement and will inform the industry once completed.
On the issues surrounding some foreign institutions which the agency engaged for training of Nigerian Cadets under the National Seafarers Development Program ( NSDP), he said NIMASA is reviewing the process and that the agency is not planning to return the Cadets as being speculated , rather to make sure the institution adhere to the terms so as not to churn out half baked professionals who will not be gainfully employed in the industry.
Mobereola promised to partner with the maritime media in making sure the efforts of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to diversity the Nigerian economy and the full potentials of the Marine and Blue Economy is achieved.
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