Gbemisola Saraki, minister of state for transportation, has said that the National Maritime Transport Policy being developed by Nigeria would lead to improved inflow of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and enhance the ability of the Nigerian maritime sector to compete internationally.
Saraki, who spoke in Lagos at the opening of a stakeholders’ validation forum on the draft policy, said the transport policy would give Nigeria pride of place in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement.
According to her, adoption of the transport policy would mark a paradigm shift in Nigeria’s economic competitiveness as it is expected to usher in a regime of robust maritime transport system in the country in line with international best practice.
Represented by permanent secretary, Federal Ministry of Transportation, Magdalene Ajani, the minister said the policy is a framework that will guide and sharpen the activities, create modus operandi in the maritime sector. “It is an all-encompassing document that will position the sector to compete favourably in the global market. That is why this document is extremely important and crucial to the development of the sector.”
“It is encouraging to know that the maritime policy is coming up at a time when Nigeria has ratified the AfCFTA Agreement and deposited it with the African Union Secretariat. This is an agreement that will place Nigeria in place of leadership if we adequately prepare for the protocols. Therefore, it is expedient for us to make the maritime sector ready for the AfCFTA Transit Protocols and other international protocols for us to compete favourably in the regional and global market,” she said.
On her part, Ajani said the policy was the bedrock of development, as the condition of the maritime sector of a nation determines its future development.
“Nigeria, like other nations, has recognised the integral role policies play in developmental process and as such, engendered different processes to drive her quest for a sustainable, feasible and generic National Maritime Transport Policy. This will boost the maritime sector and widen the horizon to enable it serve the domestic market and have comparative advantage globally,” Ajani said.
Paul Adalikwu, chairman of the National Maritime Transport Policy Committee, said the maritime transport policy aimed to develop a maritime industry that is income generating, self-sufficient, competitive with comparative advantage in the regional and global markets.
Hadiza Bala Usman, managing director of Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) said policy is the key to unlock the huge potentials and vast opportunities in the nation’s blue economy.
According to her, a well articulated National Maritime Transport Policy would support local content development, create good value jobs and attract foreign investments within the context of the Federal Government’s Economic Growth and Sustainability agenda.
“We look forward to a policy with clear standard operating procedures (SOPs) that would guide our various operations, and would be strengthened by critical legal frame work and legislation from the National Assembly. It would engender a competitive maritime domain with clear rules on institutional governance, service capacity and accountability,” she said.
The meeting was organised by the Federal Ministry of Transportation to get stakeholders’ buy-in and input, as the policy document was being fine-tuned.
Bashir Jamoh, director-general of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), was represented by the executive director, Finance and Administration, Chudi Ofodile.
