The Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) has pledged to ensure equal sharing of the additional cost that may come up over the acquisition of new technologies to help Nigeria achieve greener shipping.
Emmanuel Jime, executive secretary of the NSC, who made the pledge at the 2022 World Maritime Day celebration in Lagos recently, said the Council would also ensure that the additional cost thrown up in the implementation of the new technologies do not increase the cost of doing business at the Nigerian seaports.
According to him, the time has come to have deliberate efforts of all concerned authorities towards adopting measures, not only to implement but also to put in place measures to cushion the effects of this change.
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He said that S&P Global Platts Analytics predicted that the shipping industry currently accounts for between 2 percent and 3 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions, and could be 17 percent by 2050 if left unregulated.
“Africa’s maritime sector is bound to be affected by the IMO 2020 targets and one of the concerns of African states is the availability, quality and supply of low Sulphur fuel and whether refineries would be able to meet new demands.
“One of the challenges is that Africa’s maritime sector is still developing and will require resources and capacity-building to strengthen institutions responsible for incorporating international conventions into local law, implementing the legislation and policing the environmental legislation,” Jime said.
