NIMASA Act: FG Urged to Utilise Maritime Fund for Shipping, Infrastructure Development

Eromosele Abiodun

Licensed customs agents in the country have called on the federal government to utilise maritime fund for the purpose of its establishment, which is to develop and implement shipping and maritime infrastructure for Indigenous Maritime Operators (IMO) as contained in the Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Act.

The agents stated this in a petition addressed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu tagged, “The Urgent Need to Implement Shipping and Maritime Infrstructure With the Maritime Fund for Indigenous Operators as Contained in Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency Act. 17 of 2007.”

The agents in the petition signed by the National President of the National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents (NCMDLCA), the umbrella body of clearing agents in Nigeria, Mr Lucky Amiwero, stressed the need for the government to develop and promote Shipping and Maritime Infrastructure such as, Transportation, bounded warehouses and equipment for effective cargo delivery system,   “by the Importers-Exporters/ Licensed Customs Agents (LCA) who are the main contributors of the 3 per cent  freight earnings  of inbound and outbound  cargoes.

“The development and promotion, will create effective cargo delivery system, thereby making our ports efficient in cargo turn around time, it will create employment and build capacity for enhance cargo delivery system in Nigeria Ports.”

They added, “The Maritime   Infrastructure for Indigenous Operators  prescribed in Section 22-(k) states, ‘Develop and implement policies and programs which will facilitate the growth of local capacity in ownership, manning and construction of ships and other Maritimeinfrastructure.’  The shipping infrastructure for Indigenous operators is prescribed in section 39-(2): states, the agency shall develop and implement policies and measures to promote Indigenous ownership of ship and shipping infrastructure.”

Infrastructure, the agents said, includes a variety of systems, “it is the basic facilities and system serving a country, region, community or other area, and encompasses the services and facilities necessary for its economy households and firms to function, composed of public and private infrastructures.

“Infrastructure is often categorized as hard or soft, hard infrastructure is the tangible and physical, which include Transportation, bonded warehouse and equipment etc, while soft infrastructure is the service required to maintain the economic health, and social needs of the nation. It is also, clearly defined in Section 36 ofthe interpretation of Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (Establishment) Act No 18 of 2005.B

The agents added that the maritime Fund under section 16-(2)-(a) provides 25 per cent of its revenue to the maritime fund adding that the maritime fund was established under section  17-(1).

“The Money under Section 17-(4) is to promote the development of indigenous Shipping and shipping Infrastructure in Nigeria. The beneficiaries of the Maritime fund under section (4) of this Section shall be Nigerian Citizens and Companies,” they exolained.