The Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has pledged to adhere to statutory due diligence in the administration of the Cabotage Fund.
NIMASA Director-General (D-G), Dr Dakuku Peterside, said that with the clamour for a national shipping line, there was every need to strengthen the administration of the fund.
Peterside declared on the sidelines of a news conference in Lagos on Sunday that the fund was set-up to encourage Nigerian ship owners to be able to acquire and maintain vessels.
The D-G regretted the spate of maladministration that had become the lot of the fund in the recent past, which he said, had made it inoperative.
“We are aware of the complaints of the contributors (ship owners) of the fund and their predicament in accessing it.
“The fund, if well administered, will ensure that Nigeria has sea going vessels at all times, with a large number of Nigerian seafarers on board.
“It is a pride to see our national flag hoisted on transnational vessels,’’ Peterside said.
According to him, the idea will absorb many of the country’s trained but idle seafarers, thereby adding to the Nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
He added that the administration would tend to emulate countries like the Philippines in exporting seafarers to other countries, thereby stemming piracy on board.
Peterside said that the agency was training middle-cadre manpower at the maritime academy at Oron, while the senior officers were being trained abroad.
He noted that NIMASA’s primary objective did not include the setting-up of a Maritime University, as was being propelled by the ousted leadership of the agency.
“The Cabotage Fund, under the present leadership, will be channelled for what it is meant for and not for a university.
“The government is reviewing the whole concept of setting-up the university, therefore, whatever the official stance is, will be our guiding principle,’’ the DG added.
