Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State said the maritime industry would witness a major boost with the progress the state had recorded in ongoing construction of the $2.6 billion Badagry deep seaport. Ambode, who was represented by his Special Adviser on Commerce, Mr Benjamin Labinjo, made the remarks at a Gala Evening Dinner, organised by the Ship Owners Association of Nigeria (SOAN) in Lagos
He said that on completion, the seaport would be the largest in Africa.
The governor said that the state was encouraged by the interest already shown by international investors. Ambode said that investors were willing to partner with the state government to make the project a reality. He, however, urged operators to resolve to forge a strong partnership and make necessary sacrifices that would bring about a quick turnaround of the country’s economy
The governor said the great potential of the maritime industry will be the major revenue earner and driving force for economic growth and development. He acknowledged that the maritime industry played a vital role in development of the country. According to him, the industry is widely acknowledged as being in need of far-reaching reforms in order to align with global best practices.
“For the potential to be fully harnessed there must be a convergence of ideas among stakeholders, including the ship-owners association on how best to move the industry forward. The idea should also move the industry forward in the best interest of economic and private investors. I believe one of the basic issues revolve around the need for government to create enabling environment through the design and implementation of appropriate policies, incentives and provision of required infrastructure, Ambode said.
The governor said the state government was committed to doing everything in its capacity to ease the process of doing business. Ambode said this was the only way to attract investments to the critical sectors of the economy.
In his opening remarks, the President of SOAN, Mr Greg Ogbeifun, said the association was committed to raising the efficiency of the Nigerian vessel owners’ participation in the maritime sector. Ogbeifun said that the association’s intents were also to facilitate the streamlining of government’s policy direction to actualise realistic maritime potential.
“We want to be the eye on ground, while government will be our supporters as well as serving as a facilitator for the agencies that are stakeholders in the sector. We commend the Lagos State Government for creating a conducive environment for SOAN to be headquartered here. SOAN wishes to use this opportunity to build our headquarters here to be named Ship Owners House and this house will be a centre of excellence for ship-owners, seafarers and other relevant stakeholders. “Our dear Governor, we kindly appeal that you allocate an appropriate land in a suitable location for this planned edifice,“ Ogbeifun said. He said that SOAN had embarked on provision of their vessels for the much needed sea-time requirements for cadetship training in order to support the ever-increasing manpower needs of the industry. Ogbeifun said that the association’s network within the year of existence became an important enabler of maritime trade in Nigeria.
He said that this had increased investments in the industry and responsible for why ship owners owned many vessels.
