LAGOS – Mr Bolaji akinola, Chief Executive Officer, Ships and Ports Communications, has urged the Federal Government to pay closer attention to the maritime sector with a view to create more job opportunities and reduce poverty.
Akinola, who made the appeal in a statement on Friday in Lagos, said that if the nation truly desired to become one of the top 20 economies of the world by 2020, it must pay more attention to the maritime sector.
“Nigerians should ordinarily not have any business with poverty or unemployment considering the nation’s vast resources, especially its enormous maritime potential.
“The maritime sector is where every attention should now be focused. Those who rule the seas rule the world,” the statement said.
It added that the 8th Annual Shipping Career Summit, organised by Ships and Ports Communication Company Ltd., would hold at the Petroleum Training Institute (PTI) Effurun, Delta, on August 21.
The statement noted that the summit was created to enlighten Nigerians on the careers and investment opportunities that abound in the nation’s maritime sector.
According to the statement, the summit will empower participants, especially youths to take advantage of shipping opportunities through mentoring. [eap_ad_1] “Nigeria’s maritime sector is endowed with enormous natural resources which provide great potential and opportunities necessary to achieve sustainable growth and development.
“Our country is blessed with a vast coastline of about 850 km and an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of well over 300,000 square km.
“The country also has navigable inland waterways of 3,000 km, eight major seaports, 11 oil terminals, and over 170 private jetties,’’ it said.
The statement said the maiden edition of the summit was held at the MUSON Centre, Onikan, Lagos, in July 2006, while the second in July 2007; the third in July 2008; and the fourth in June 2009 were held in Abuja, Ibadan and Ilorin respectively.
It said the summit was also held in Abeokuta, Yenagoa and Makurdi in 2010, 2011 and 2012 respectively.
It added that Warri was chosen for this year’s event “because of its large population of youths and because of its natural maritime domain with ports in Warri, Koko and Burutu’’.
It said that a maritime university, several maritime training institutions, the NIMASA shipyard and several shipping operations were domiciled in the state.
The statement noted that career and investment opportunities to be discussed at the summit included “Investment/Business Opportunities in the Maritime Industry” and “Opportunities in Non-oil Export”.
The others are “Ship Chandling”, “Engineering Career at Sea” and “Building a Career in Seafaring”, it said. (NAN)
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