Navy, NIMASA, AMANO Urged to Embrace Greener Shipping

Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt

As the world continues to face challenges resulting from effect of climate change, the maritime industry has been urged to promote greener shipping in coastal and international trade on both short and long term goals.

This call was made at the weekend, during the 2022 convention of the Alumni of Maritime Academy of Nigeria Oron (AMANO), held in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
In his remarks, Director of Transformation at the Defence Headquarters, Abuja, Rear Admiral Nuhu J. Bala, harped on the need for cleaner environment.
Bala stressed that the flood disaster experienced globally in the recent times was as a result of human activities which have affected the ozone layer resulting to a serious climate change.

He said the conference by AMANO was timely, commending the group for choosing the theme: “Leveraging Technology for Greener Shipping,” which was targeted at addressing the consequences of the climate change.
Bala added: “We are all aware of what is happening to us recently with the issue of flood and of course we know that flood is nothing but the consequences of climate change.

“Climate change comes in different ways one of which AMANO is trying to address today with the them – ‘Leveraging Technology for Greener Shipping.’
“Why is it so? It is because we all know that over the years, the Maritime industry globally has so much relied on the use fossil energy in order to power machines in our vessels and those machines and vessels continue to emit carbon dioxide that deplete the ozone layer and as this happens, the consequences are what we are seeing today.

“The theme of this year conference targeted at how to ensure and see how we can encourage Greener Shipping, is very germane and therefore we have also seen how the products of AMANO have contributed tremendously to development of the shipping industry in Nigeria.”

Speaking also, an Assistant Director with the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Kini Edubio, stated that if the issue of emission had been tackled, the flooding experienced, would not have gotten to the level of damage recorded.
Edubio, who represented the Director General of NIMASA, Bashir Jamoh, explained how the agency in collaboration with other stakeholders was working hard to reduce emission in ships.

“Regulatory bodies such as NIMASA have been able to put in place processes to reduce the amount of emission by ships in Nigeria.
“One of the advantages of having this kind of seminar is to create awareness. As an agency, we expect that at the end of this conference resolutions, ideas are shared and agencies like us would be able to look at them, see how we incorporate into what we are also doing to reduce emission of ships within our Nigerian Maritime environment.

“If we are able to tackle the emission menace, the flooding we are talking today would not have gotten to the level of damage it is today. You can imagine the billions, properties and lives that have been lost,” he added.

The NIMASA boss added “So, if you begin to curb the excesses of these emissions, though it takes a lot of money to convert to ships that are low in Sulphur not to talk of the one of reduction, we will have a better environment.

“So, there is a lot of capital to be invested into it for you to achieve the result, but there is need to do that which we must do.”

Earlier, President of AMANO, Emmanuel Maiguwa, expressed satisfaction that the group created the platform needed for Nigeria to discuss shipping technology transition in line with the World Maritime Organisation and the United Nations’ agenda for greener shipping and sustainable development.