CAPACITY BUILDING: SHIPPERS COUNCIL PROMISES TO PARTNER NIIT

The Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) has restated the council’s determination to partner with the Nigerian Institute of Transport Technology (NITT) for effective training and capacity building development of personnel.

Executive Secretary of NSC, Hassan Bello stated this in Lagos yesterday when he received officials of NITT led by its Director General, Dr. Aminu Yusuf who paid him a courtesy visit in his office.

Bello while noting that capacity building is instrumental to the development of the maritime sector said there is need to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the agency and the institution.

According to him, the Council is knowledge driven hence there is need for the maritime sector to be driven by personnel in specialised knowledge.

Bello commended the effort made so far by the institute on training stating that it has trained a large number of professionals in the transport sub sector of the economy.

He urged them to put in place awareness campaign programme to move the training outfit forward.

“The two institutions are knowledge driven, what we do is to get the required knowledge because it is the knowledge that drive the industry and so many mistakes has been made due to lack of knowledge and Nigeria will suffer for it”

“But now the choices we have for the industry are limited and we cannot afford to make such mistakes and therefore we have to patronise this fountain of knowledge called NITT,” he said.

Bello described the NITT programmes as innovative and modern saying that transport is a significant component to Nigeria economy.

Speaking earlier, NIIT Director General, Dr. Yusuf said that NITT has been able to put in place measures to pursue transport education development programme to set agenda for the overall development of the sector.

He however appealed to the Shippers’ Council boss to look into the possibility of investing in the infrastructural development of the institute and jointly carry out research projects on transport and logistics.

He said “we have also submitted proposal for a joint two day workshop with the NSC on the role of transport and logistics in international trade in Nigeria and this is in addition to the training proposal sent to your office for consideration.”

GOV. AYADE PROMISES TO COMPLETE CALABAR DEEP SEAPORT

 The Cross River State Governor, Professor Ben Ayade, has stated that the proposed Calabar deep seaport will be completed on schedule by his administration.

He made the promise on Wednesday when he played host to the Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Hadiza Bala Usman, who paid him a courtesy call in Government House, Calabar.

Ayade said when the port is inaugurated and put into use; it would complement rather than compete with the existing Calabar port.
The governor said the proposed port at full bloom will help to assuage the plight of the displaced Bakassi people.

“This project will no doubt go a long way to assuage the plight of the people of Bakassi, who by no fault of theirs have become refugees in their own ancestral home.

“By the time the project takes off, they would recognize the fact that president Buhari truly loves them.

“Your presence here underscores the fact that our Bakassi deep seaport project is a reality,”Ayade said.

Ayade commended President Mohammadu Buhari for supporting the Bakassi seaport project.

Ayade said the president’s gesture was an indication that “he is a man of honour and dignity, who keeps his word”.
In her remarks, the NPA managing director said the federal government was determined to increase the flow of ship and cargo traffic at the Calabar port.

NIGERIAN NAVY TRAINS 23 OFFICERS IN SHIP MANAGEMENT

Twenty three (23) naval officers in Lagos commenced a four-week command Level course on the effective management of ship and naval establishments yesterday.

Participants in the course, organized by Naval Training Command (NAVTRAC) of the Nigerian Navy, are being attended by officers between the ranks of captain and commander.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, the Commandant, Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Quorra, Commodore Francis Isaac, said that the maiden course was aimed at improving the quality of command afloat and ashore.

“The course is designed to assist the naval headquarters in determining the suitability of nominated officers for independent command level appointments afloat and ashore.

“Also, it would equip participants with adequate knowledge required for management of a ship or establishment,” Isaac said.

According to the commandant, the course is to standardize the selection process of officers of the rank of commander and captains for command responsibilities afloat and ashore.

Also speaking, the Flag Officer Commanding (FOC), NAVTRAC, Rear Adm. Ifeola Mohammed, said that the navy needed well-trained naval personnel with the confidence and attributes to defend the territorial integrity of the country.

“The purpose of the training basically is to develop the requisite leadership attribute for the commanders at the various strata so that they are able to deliver to the people of Nigeria the service that we need,” he said.

Present at the inauguration were the FOC, Western Naval Command, Rear Admiral Fergusson Bobai, Rear Adm. A. Osinowo and the Commander NNS BEECROFT, Commodore Abraham Adaji.

NEW MEASURES AGAINST OIL POLLUTION EFFECTIVE FROM OCTOBER

The latest amendments to the MARPOL Annex I for the prevention of oil pollution are scheduled to come into effect on October 1, 2016, according to Marine Department of the Government of Hong Kong.

The amendment regulation states that oil residue (sludge) tank for machinery space should be provided with a designated pump for disposal of the oil residue and the tank should have no discharge connections to the bilge system, oily bilge water holding tank, tank top or oily water separators.

In addition, oil tankers of 150 gross tonnage and above should have an approved Ship-to-Ship (STS) Operation Plan.

All oil tankers are required to fit with a stability instrument comprising hardware and software which is capable of verifying compliance with the intact and damage stability requirements in any operational condition.

Shipowners, operators and coxswains of local oil tankers are required to observe and comply with the amendment regulation, according to the Marine Department.

CONSTRUCTION OF THE PROPOSED MEGA-SEAPORT IN BADAGRY, LAGOS STATE.

The Federal Government has approved the construction of the proposed mega-seaport in Badagry, Lagos State.

Minister for Information, Lai Mohammed, who disclosed at the end of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting held in Abuja, said the project would be built by the private sector.

The briefing was also attended by the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola and Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi.

Mohammed said the approval for the Greenfield port development in Badagry is the first step to approving the establishment of a new seaport in the country.

The approval, he said, showed that Nigeria is still a very preferred investment destination in Africa despite the challenges it is facing.

Also speaking on the port project, Fashola, while thanking President Muhammadu Buhari for granting the approval, said, “There are bigger vessels now being built across the world that require larger depths and drafts to berth. Now some of our competitors on the continent like Djibouti are building bigger ports, so if we don’t build this port we risk becoming uncompetitive and we risk a threat to our maritime hub status in the sense that we may become a transshipment port instead of a port of original destination.”

Stressing that the work on the port started in 2012, he said that all its financing is coming from the private sector.

“Again that is consistent with what this government’s stands for in terms of allowing private capital and competency to come into the development of our infrastructure,” he said.

He stated that the Badagry port project was delayed because of the refusal of the last administration to grant approval for it as the port development was under federal government’s control.

Ameachi said that it would take five years to construct the port, which he said “will bring $2.558 billion (N793billion) into the system”.

“And that in this period when we are looking for foreign exchange, it is going to bring a total of $2.558 billion into the system and federal and Lagos state government would not contribute financially other than the land given by the Lagos state government,” he stated.

Leading global terminal operator, APM Terminals announced in November 2012 that it would embark on the construction of the ambitious Badagry mega-port and free trade zone.