Policy review, infrastructural devt to revive shipping business, says Haastrup
Vicky Haastrup, the executive vice chairman of ENL Consortium, who was newly installed as the fourth President of the Certified Institute of Shipping Nigeria (CISN), has called for urgent review of some maritime policies that have brought about low import and export business in the nation’s port.
Some of those policies that operators have been calling for their review include the National Automotive Policy, ban on 41 selected items from accessing foreign exchange from official window, fish import quota, Nigerian Rice Policy among other policies which are seen to be counterproductive.
Delivering her acceptance speech at her investiture ceremony in Lagos on Thursday, Haastrup, who doubles as the chairman of the Seaport Terminal Operators Association of Nigeria (STOAN), stated that the only way to re-engineer the maritime sector is by government being able to provide an enabling environment through monetary and fiscal policies that would drive trade growth and economic sustainability.
She also identified the need for the passage of the Port and Harbour Bill, currently on the floor of the National Assembly.
“The nation’s maritime policies; institutional, regulatory and legal framework that are currently outdated and incoherent, need to be reviewed. The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) Act is 29 years old and new laws with current realities are urgently needed to put the port system on track,” said the vice chairman.
The Federal Government, Haastrup pointed, needs to carry out constant dredging of the channels to maintain a given draught. She further listed rehabilitation of the dilapidated port access roads and development of inter-modal transportation as infrastructural projects requiring urgent attention in the nation’s seaports.
Other infrastructural projects, according to her, include laying of channel buoys; procurement of additional harbour crafts; establishment of new signal stations and anchorages aimed at ensuring safety of navigation; and protection of maritime environment and enhancement of maritime safety need to be undertaken by the government to bring down the cost of doing business.
While congratulating the institute on its drive for maritime manpower development in the sector, Haastrup, who is the first female President of the institute, called for the inclusion of more shipping related courses like Standard of Training; Certification and Watch Keeping (STCW) and other International Maritime Organisation (IMO) recongised courses into the curriculum of the institute by the Board of Studies.
Haastrup also called for the need to include Certificate of Competencies (CoC) for seamen; General Courses in Shipping Management; Port Operation and Freight Forwarding to address maritime logistics and supply chain management issues.
Earlier in his welcome address, Isaac Adalemo, the immediate past President of CISN advised the newly installed president to remain focused on the primary objectives of the institute, which he said, was set up to fill the yawning gap in professional training and development of its members.
Adalemo, who was represented by Alex Okwuashi, rector of CIS said the institute has established an innovative Enterprise Institution under its College of Maritime Transport Management and Technology to award Diplomas to students. He said the Federal Ministry of Education, among other accrediting institutions, has accredited the Diploma programmes of the College.
Haastrup investiture ceremony was witnessed by several industry dignitaries including the representatives of the Chief of Naval Staff; director-general, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA); managing director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and executive secretary of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC).
Other notable maritime industry stakeholders’ presents at the event include CEO of Sifax Group, Taiwo Afolabi, founding President of Nigerian Shipowners Association, Isaac Jolapamo; former managing director, NPA, Omar Suleiman, and top officials of the Maritime Workers Union (MWUN) among others.
Uzoamaka Anagor-Ewuzie