The Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Malam Habib Abdullahi, says the organisation will partner with major stakeholders, including the Nigerian Indigenous Ship owners Association (NISA), to develop the maritime sector.
This is contained in a statement made available to newsmen on Monday in Lagos by the Assistant General Manager, Public Affairs of NPA, Mr Musa Iliya.
Abdullahi, according to the statement, made the pledge while receiving new executive members of NISA, who paid him a courtesy visit in his office.
He said that all the stakeholders needed to work for the overall growth of the nation’s maritime sector.
The managing director said that the NPA held the association (NISA) in high esteem as a major stakeholder in the industry.
He said that the views of ship owners on issues concerning maritime administration could not be ignored.
Abdullahi urged the ship owners to make their relevance and importance felt in the scheme of things.
He said that though it was the responsibility of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency to implement the Cabotage Act, the NPA would continue to give support and work for its success.
According to him, the gains of the Act will be mutually beneficial to all stakeholders.
The managing director urged indigenous ship owners to patronise the Continental Shipyard Limited (CSL) – an NPA Joint Venture Company – for the repair of their ships.
He said that he was ready to partner with NISA in constituting a joint committee to look into areas of mutual interest.
The President of NISA, Capt. Olaniyi Labinjo, told the managing director that the new executives decided to visit him because they recognised the organisation as a very important government agency in maritime affairs.
Labinjo said that as stakeholders, there was a need for healthy relationship between NISA and NPA so that both could collaborate and synergise to attain international standards in the shipping industry.
The NISA president said that such collaboration was urgently needed in view of the dwindling revenue from oil and gas due to the falling prices of oil in the world market.
Labinjo said there was the urgent need to position the maritime sector as an alternative to oil and gas in revenue generation.
He thanked the managing director for his support to NISA over the years and sought more active involvement of NPA in Nigerian Maritime Expo (NIMAREX) activities.
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