ISAN rebrands, transforms into NISA
… Accuses govt of neglecting indigenous maritime industry
The Indigenous Shipowners Association of Nigeria (ISAN) has been rechristened and has now become the Nigeria Shipowners Association (NISA), with the body lamenting that the development of a virile indigenous maritime industry, which is capable of conserving the nation’s hard-earned foreign exchange and boosting employment generation for rapid development of shipowners’ capacities and capabilities, is not high on the current national agenda.
In his opening speech at the association’s second quarter general meeting held yesterday in Lagos, the NISA Chairman, Chief Isaac Jolapamo, lamented that the various recommendations designed to turn the industry around remains unrealisable in view of absence of the approval by President Goodluck Jonathan.
“We have made presentations to the President and the National Economic Management Team, through membership of the Presidential Committee on Harnessing the Potential of the Maritime Sector for Sustainable Development where I chaired the Cabotage and Local Content sub-committee in addition to my membership of the Business Support Group representing the maritime sector. Our findings and experience in all of these interactions are mixed. On one hand, we have been able to raise the issue of maritime underdevelopment to the highest national governance level. However, on the other hand we have realised that we have a huge task on our hands to ensure we ensure achieve our desired objective,” Jolapamo stated.
The NISA boss said that a situation where “those who have sacrificed their all to sustain this industry are now languishing in penury while foreigners and their collaborators with none industry players continue to dictate the direction of the sector” is absolutely intolerable.
He said that the continuous engagement of the highest level of the government by NISA is hinged on the belief that the association’s practical involvement will lead to policies that are beneficial to its members operations as maritime entrepreneurs.
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