Stakeholder nudges incoming administration to commission Naval Dockyard to deliver Nigeria’s merchant vessels
Stakeholder nudges incoming administration to commission Naval Dockyard to deliver Nigeria's merchant vessels
Segun Oladipupo
The federal government has been advised to commission the Naval Dockyard Limited (NDL) to design and develop, build and deliver Nigeria’s highly needed merchant vessels
Dr. Musa Akintemi the Rector of Crown Maritime Academy (CMA) made the call for Nigeria to regain her place in the regional ship-ownership and global merchant marine.
In a statement made available to Monarchs News, Dr Musa added that for the Naval Dockyard to make breakthrough, major maritime stakeholders, led by the Presidency, the Federal Ministry of Transportion, NIMASA, Shipowners Association of Nigeria (SOAN), Nigerian Shipowners Association (NISA), NLNG Ship Management Limited (NSML), public and private interests would need to patronize the nation’s Naval Dockyard.
The CMA Rector said the call became necessary after the tour of the Naval Facility as part of the Academy’s Research and Development (R & D) Field-Trip with his cadets and students guided by the senior personnel of the strategic facility at Victoria Island in Lagos recently.
“We can NOT see three different war-ships built by the NDL and yet keep patronage of overseas shipyards for the nation’s expected cabotage vessels”, says Dr. Akinyemi.
According to the Rector who had a stint in NIMASA when it was National Maritime Authority (NMA), and was a senior staff of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), “if the Federal Government would consider contracting the NDL to deliver the first two or three merchant ships for our fleet acquisition plan, the Cabotage Vessels Finance Fund (CVFF) shall not be used for what it is not meant for, neither shall it be spent on foreign new-builds”.
“It is delightful to have a consistent, coherent and competent personnel of the current caliber in the Nigerian Navy”, an elated Akinyemi continued.
“As partners in progress with the Nigerian Navy (NN), maritime professionals and water transport studies providers like us believe that the technological competitiveness and economic promises of the corporate venture command more honours on the Naval big brothers”,
The Rector added, “that the three armed forces are now professional and transformational can no longer be doubted”.
According to the Rector of the Academy recognized and listed as a Centre Of Academic Excellence in 2014/2015 by the Commonwealth Education Partnerships (CEP) of London, “I appeal to the above- named public and private authorities and interests to please raise the memo towards acquiring our fleet locally from the Nigerian Navy facility”.
Meanwhile, Akinyemi would like the new mandate man at the Presidency and in-coming Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces, Senator Bola Tinubu to “ensure that this appeal is specifically acknowledged and given full effect, especially in the interest of national content promotion, preservation of the nation’s Naval and Maritime heritage, job security and new employment opportunities, apart from the fact that, “we could only grow and increase the nation’s foreign reserves by producing, identifying with and patronizing locally what we have technical-know and advantage of”.
