A former Director-General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr Ade Dosunmu, has commended the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, for taking steps to revive the liquidated Nigerian National Shipping Line (NNSL).
Dosunmu, who gave the commendation on Tuesday in Lagos, urged the minister to ensure that the revival of the national shipping line should be private sector- driven to achieve its set objectives.
Dosunmu said that the Nigerian National Shipping Line (NNSL) was liquidated because government was controlling it.
“This time, the private sector should occupy 60 per cent position, while government should hold 40 per cent shares to give room for more foreign investors to participate.
“NLNG is a success story because it was Public Private Partnership (PPP) driven.
“Nigeria is a shipping nation with huge maritime potential but government should ensure that the shipping line is more controlled by the private sector,” he said.
The former NIMASA Director-General, however, urged the Ministry of Transportation to engage the services of entrepreneurs to bring more technical partners from outside the country.
He said that there was need for national shipping line due to the fact that Nigeria is blessed with hydrocarbon resources.
Dosunmu said that “Nigeria lifts crude oil on daily basis”.
He said that the crude oil transportation business would attract foreign investors to participate in the shipping line project.
The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, recently said the Federal Government was working on the establishment of a national shipping line to ensure maximum exploitation of the potential of the maritime industry.
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