Lagos – A ship owner, retired Capt. Niyi Labinjo, on Saturday called for the establishment of more ship-building and ship-repairing yards in the country.
Labinjo made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) as maritime activities for the week closed on Saturday.
He said that more ship yards in the country would save Nigeria huge foreign exchange being repatriated to other ship yards outside the country.
“The repair yards we have are too few and are unable to handle enormous businesses that are available.
“Sometimes, you can spend two or more years in the waiting line and that means the crew will not work.
“When a vessel is not working, the crew members are to be paid and when a vessel breaks down, its crew members are also to be paid,“ Labinjo said.
In the week under review, the President, Shippers’ Association, Lagos State, Mr Jonathan Nicol, said that Nigerian freight forwarders might be facing a bleak future as foreign firms were beginning to take over sourcing, shipments and clearing door-to-door contracts.
Nicol told NAN that, “A report reaching his association indicates that outsourcing has taken about 75 per cent of the freight forwarders’ jobs as foreign firms take over outsourcing of raw materials for industries in Nigeria.’’
Nicol said that this was due to the inability of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to provide the required foreign exchange.
He said that this might lead to unemployment in the maritime sector.
“Cost of goods will hit the rooftops. Inflation will rise,’’ the shipper told NAN.
Nicol urged the Federal Government to curtail the dominance of foreigners in the freight forwarding sector of the maritime industry.
The shipper also suggested that the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) should institute a platform to assist the Federal Government on policy issues affecting the maritime community.
Also in the week under review, the Managing Director, Ports & Cargo Handling Services Ltd., Alhaji Mohammed Bulangu, said that cargo throughput at the terminal had grown from 5,000 TEUs (containers) inherited 10 years ago to 16,000 TEUs.
Bulangu said this at a news conference marking the 10th anniversary of the terminal in Lagos.
“It is about 10 years since we took over the operations of Terminal `C’ Tin Can Island Port. The said years have been eventful.
“The first few years were very tough and challenging. Since we took over the terminal on May 11, 2006, we have, however, taken giant steps to improve on our operations by investing heavily on infrastructure and equipment,’’ Bulangu said.
During the week, the Federal Operations Unit (F.O.U.) of Nigeria Customs Service, Zone `A’ Ikeja, Lagos, announced that it intercepted goods with a Duty Paid Value of N668.3 million between January and April 2016.
The Controller, Federal Operations Unit Zone ‘A’, Umar Dahiru, said this in a statement issued to newsmen by the Public Relations Officer of the unit, Mr Uche Ejesieme on Wednesday in Lagos.
He said that 42 suspects were arrested in connection with the seizures.
Dahiru said that the unit impounded goods valued at N428.66 million in the same period of 2015.
The controller said that the breakdown of the seizures include: rice, frozen poultry products, vegetable oil, 32 units of vehicles, 12 buses, general merchandise comprising new and used textile materials.
He expressed appreciation for the support from officers and men of the service, (NAN)