Firm Unveils Plans to Boost Indigenous Participation in Shipping

Esther Oluku

Against the backdrop of a struggling indigenous shipping industry, the Managing Director of Nigerian logistics and haulage firm, Keystone Global Resources Limited, Mrs. Benita Afolabi, has disclosed that the firm is set to rejig Nigeria’s shipping industry through international collaboration. 

Afolabi, while fielding questions from journalists at the weekend on the sidelines of the firm’s 10th Anniversary Thanksgiving in Lagos, stated that developing the nation’s shipping capacity was achievable through international collaboration.
Speaking on the inherent challenge of Nigeria’s low participation in international shipping, she stated that the firm hopes to raise the standard by starting the process for the acquisition of ships to meet the demands of Nigeria’s local and International markets.
While speaking on how the firm intends to rejig indigenous participation in shipping, she said that plans were underway to garner global partnerships to invest in floating a shipping line aimed at advancing the horizons of shipping for the Nigerian shipper thus placing Nigeria at an enviable position in global shipping.

“Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund (CVFF) is like a loaf of bread that is on the table and a million people want to feast on when there are a thousand and one opportunities out there. Let’s leave CVFF for now. Our dream is to collaborate with global investors. By this year, we are moving a step further to this dream. We will be opening up our United Kingdom office in the first quarter God willing. We are looking at global investment, not the CVFF fund. 

“In the next 10 years, we want to own vessels that we would call West Africa. We want to own one of the best and top-notch terminals. This bonded terminal is just birthed so in the next ten years, we want to be the only choice that people will think of when they think of trucking business.”

Afolabi explained that as the firm eyes the global stage, it has raised the bar of professionalism in maritime business sharing that 80 per cent of its staff have professional certification in line with best global practice. 

“We are heavy on growth. From a ratio of a hundred, I would say 80 per cent of our staff are certified in their various departments. We have people who came in as novices but now they can operate any crane of any capacity or tonnage. Shell Certified. We have people who came in without the knowledge of how to ride a car but today they are forklift operators. we have people who came in as Deck Hands but today they are Engineers. This was built over time.” 

Aiyedatiwa Orders Road Contractors Back to Sites

Gov. Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo State has ordered contractors handling road projects across the state to immediately return to sites and ensure the timely completion of projects.

Aiyedatiwa gave the directive at a meeting between the contractors and the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure, headed by the Permanent Secretary, Mr Allen Idowu.

A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr Ebenezer Adeniyan, in Akure on Saturday, said Aiyedatiwa also approved the rehabilitation and asphalt overlay of 60km of roads across the state within the next three months.

The governor promised that all ongoing infrastructural projects in the state would be completed as scheduled.

He directed the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure to mobilise contractors back to sites to speed up work on the projects for early completion.

He expressed the determination of his administration to hit the ground running with the implementation of policies and programmes of government as stated in the budget.

Aiyedatiwa assured of timely payment for jobs done by contractors and expressed readiness to ensure that the needed resources are made available on time to encourage them.

The permanent secretary in the ministry said the contractors were ready to meet up with the deadline set by the governor, adding that officials of the ministry had been mobilised to play their parts.