The Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dakuku Peterside, has said that the Agency is set to deliver what will be Africa’s fifth largest floating dockyard in 2017.
Peterside said this during a project evaluation and inspection meeting with officials of Damen Shipyards and NIRDA in Amsterdam, Netherlands on Thursday.
The D-G, who was accompanied on the inspection visit by members of the National Assembly Committees overseeing NIMASA, observed that a modular floating dockyard of the kind NIMASA is building in Netherlands and Romania apart from boosting ship repair capacity has the potential to transform Nigeria’s maritime industry, generate wealth and create employment.
Peterside said currently, over 90% of vessels operating in Nigeria carry out their dry docking overseas fretting away the much needed foreign exchange at great cost to the country.
Speaking at the project meeting, the Regional Director for Africa in Damen, Harm Blaauw, said the company is proud to handle this historic project which in his words” is the most modern high tech floating dock globally in recent times with capacity to dry dock several hundreds of vessels per annum”.
Sabi Bar Noy, the Chairman of NIRDA said NIMASA made the right decision by embarking on the floating dock project and that the established positive business case supports the initiative. He promised that NIRDA and its technical partner Damen will fast track the construction and delivery of the floating dock by next year.
Senator Ahmed Yerima, who led some members of the Senate Committee on Marine Transport to Netherlands, expressed satisfaction with the quality of work done on the modular floating dock with a promise that the National Assembly by way of appropriation will assist NIMASA achieve its early completion.
Similarly, Hon. Mohammed Umaru Bago, the Chairman of the House Committee of Maritime safety, Education and Administration, said he looks forward to early delivery in Nigeria and the floating dock going into operation soon.
Members of National Assembly, some Management staff of NIMASA and two classification societies overseeing the modular floating dock visited Rotterdam in Netherlands and Galati in Romania to assess the pace and quality of work in line with the contractual agreement.
The modular floating dockyard measuring 125m by 35m with 3 inbuilt cranes, transformers and a number of ancillary facilities is being built by one of the world’s largest ship building firms, Damen of Netherlands and their partners NIRDA.
NIMASA initiated the project in 2013 but work started in 2014 before it was stagnated. The current leadership of NIMASA is revisiting the project with renewed vigor given the impact it will have on the industry.
The NIMASA floating dock project according to the builders will be delivered next year to Nigeria.
Also, the National Assembly Committees have assured the Agency of the needed legislative and budgetary support to grow the capacity of professionals in the industry for the good of the country and the industry.
The leadership of the Senate Committee on Marine Transport and the House Committee on Maritime Safety, Education and Administration said this while on oversight visit to Romania to assess the condition of young Nigerians studying various maritime professions at the Maritime University, Constanta, Romania under the Nigerian Seafarers Development Programme (NSDP).
Yerima said the Committee would give full support to NIMASA for the implementation of the NSDP scheme because of the long term impact on the growth of the Nigerian maritime industry.
Yerima, who noted that the scheme has the capacity to address unemployment and properly position Nigeria in the global maritime industry, also called on the beneficiaries of the scheme to put in their best in their training in order to add value to their families, country and the global maritime industry.
He advised the cadets not to expect maximum comfort at this time of training but rather to give their best for the sake of their tomorrow.
On his part, Bago said the National Assembly, through its relevant committees, will ensure students who are enrolled in the programme get the requisite support to go through their training.
Bago observed that maritime professionals are the most important pillar in growing the industry so deserve priority attention. He noted that the National Assembly will also review the programme to ensure federal character is reflected.
He called on the students to take their studies seriously considering the enormous resources being invested in the programme and expressed satisfaction with the infrastructure available in the school for the training of maritime professionals.
He specifically charged the students to make the country proud by performing well in their examinations and be ready to join in the renewed effort to grow the maritime industry in Nigeria to international standard.
While welcoming the delegation, the Rector of the University, Prof. Cornel Panait, who said Nigerian students are among the top performers in the institution further charged the students to exhibit a greater degree of discipline in their conduct.
Panait particularly commended the leadership of NIMASA for its total commitment to the programme and for prioritizing the welfare of the students.
He promised that the University will deliver students who can match the best anywhere in the world.
