The Nigerian Shipowners’ Association (NISA) has entered into a working relationship with the Turkish Shipowners’ Association (TUSA) for the development of the Nigerian maritime industry.
Speaking through one of its executive members at NISA secretariat in Lagos on Tuesday, Capt. Yunus Jan said his association was ready to collaborate with NISA in the area of ship building, repair and sharing of latest shipping technology.
He said TUSA had been in existence for over a century and is ready to share its many years wealth of experience with its Nigeria counterpart.
He said, “We are ready to collaborate with you. We re ready to know you, exchange contact with you and collaborate for the future.
“Since I came into this country, I have not found any shipbuilding or repair yard but I don’t know whether anyone exists that I may not have seen but we at TUSA are ready to help you in this regard.
“We will exchange idea, we will support you in building passenger ships and we will help set them up. We will bring in technology for ship building and repair,” he said
Speaking earlier, the President of NISA, Capt. Niyi Labinjo said the visit of TUSA was strategic and highly important.
“I thank you for your support and I am happy that you said you are ready to help us in the area of ship building and repair and we are ready to enter into serious deliberation with you in that aspect.
“We are much aware of the progress you have made in the shipping industry. We are aware that your maritime industry has grown tremendously and your technology is of global best practices.
“Also, with your association being over a hundred years above ours, there is a lot to learn from you, that is why the visit is unique.
“The collaboration with your association will be in the interest of Turkish shipowners association and ours also. We are also interested in learning from an older association about how our own maritime association that is in the infant stage can learn from an older and more matured association.
“It will be in our interest to cooperate with Turkish shipowners in the interest of our industry. We are ready to work together in shipbuilding, technology and sharing of information in the area TUSA has information and we don’t have.”
“NIMASA will be carried along but what is most important is that there is willingness between the two associations to work together in shipbuilding and repair, technology and area of sharing information regarding what they have experienced and we have not.
“Training will also be included but what is important is laying the foundation which was what we are doing and of course, NIMASA will become privy to everything that will eventually happen,” Labinjo stated.
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