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Stakeholders in the maritime Nigeria, have requested the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola to address the encroachment of the functions of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, by the government’s agencies.
The stakeholders made this known at a stakeholders’ engagement with the ministry in Lagos, on Tuesday.
At the event, a former Director-General of NIMASA, Temisan Omatseye, said that the Nigerian Midstream Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, NMDPRA, has been encroaching into the regulatory functions of NIMASA by licensing tanker operators in the country as well as charging ship owners $2000 Coastal Vessel License fee.
Omatseye, said “What is happening is that the ministry has to take up a very strong role right now because most of the conventions that are supposed to be domiciled in NIMASA are being taking over by other agencies.
“It is the duty of NIMASA to actually issue bunkering license, the duty of NMDPRA is just to approve the products.”
Omatseye noted that the responsibility of the oil regulatory agencies should be focused on the petroleum products and not the vessels.
The minister who was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Olorunola Olufemi, said “Ship owners and operators are the backbone of the maritime sector, contributing to trade, transportation, and job creation.
“We acknowledge the challenges you face, from safety and security concerns to regulatory hurdles and market fluctuations. It is the resolve of government to address these challenges and foster a conducive environment for your operations.
“Our efforts to enhance efficiency, transparency, and competitiveness in the sector are already yielding positive results. NIMASA Act has promoted safety standards, enforced regulations, and boosted investors' confidence.
“We are exploring fiscal and trade policies to promote greater participation of Nigerians in the shipping industry.
A major part of the plan is to unlock the Cabotage Fund for disbursement to support the growth and development of shipping businesses in the country.
The Ministry is committed to delivering this soonest.
“Our attention to the shipping industry must be wholistic, encompassing investments in fleet, improvement of regulatory frameworks, upscaling of local manpower and capacities, fine tuning of operational efficiencies, and of course increasing turnover and revenue. We must work together to reverse unfavourable terms of trade in the sector for the benefit of our economy.
“Moving forward, our collective resolve must be to foster collaboration among regulators and stakeholders to streamline processes and enhance efficiency,” he noted.
