Commercial boat operators list challenges of operating on Lagos waterways
Lagos Commercial Private Boat District, an arm of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN), has identified some of the challenges limiting its members from carrying out their businesses effectively on Lagos waterways.
Top among these challenges are lack of conducive operating and safe environment; existence of wreckages on waterways; poor installation of navigational safety buoy lights to aid night voyage, and the harassment of members by security agents on the waterways.
Others include unavailability of boat fuel refilling stations on the waterways in Lagos state; inability to train and retrain boat operators and lack of government assistance in acquiring standard safe modern boats for waterway transportation.
Speaking in Lagos last week during the Customer Service Week 2018 organised by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) with the theme, “Excellence Happens Here,” Abdul Erodje, representative of the president-general of MWUN, said that the high cost of boats and boat anchors, outboard motor engines and standard life jackets, among others, also affect the operations of boat operators.
Erodje appealed to NIMASA to cushion their operational challenges by enabling the operators to have access to the Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund (CVFF).
Mindful that the CVFF is designated for indigenous ship owners, Erodje urged NIMASA to plough “a small percentage of the CVFF” to enhance waterways transportation in Lagos State and nationwide.
According to Erodje, this will solve some of the challenges and serve as NIMASA’s local content development, and “with proper management, will enable local operators to acquire standard boats to provide internationally accepted inland waterways transportation services.”
Meanwhile, Dakukuk Peterside, the director-general of NIMASA, also called for customer-focused business transactions since “businesses exists because of the customer.”
Peterside, who was represented by Aishatu Jidda, head, Legal Services of NIMASA, noted that “customers have to be retained to sustain the business.”
According to him, “the relationship is maintained by providing quality or excellent service at all times, because customers will only expend their hard-earned resources on satisfaction derived from what they buy.”
Peterside explained that the Customer Consultative Forum (CCF), which was instituted in NIMASA through Service Compact with all Nigerians (SERVICOM), has facilitated discussions on the highlights, constraints and successes of businesses and organisations in their interface with the agency’s regulatory role.
Abiodun Olusegun, head, SERVICOM unit of NIMASA, said the agency highly regards robust engagement with stakeholders in its regulatory and promotional activities.
He urged boat operators to always contact the agency’s SERVICOM office for intervention on issues affecting their operations.
Uzoamaka Anagor-Ewuzie