Forty companies have signified their interest to invest in the nation’s maritime industry, following a presentation by the Director General of the National Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NAMASA), Mrs Mfon Usoro at the Ports and Terminals Group meeting in London where the she highlighted the advantages in the sector.
The NAMASA director general in her paper titled “Port Reforms In Nigeria Legislative Imperative” which chronicled the opportunities in a post reformed industry in the country, told the gathering that the international communities were aware that Nigeria has positioned itself well in the maritime industry.
According to the Head of Public Relations of NAMASA, Ms. Ego N. Nwokocha, the director general said: ‘‘International communities are aware Nigeria is living up to expectation under the International Maritime Organisation’s Conventions’’.
She added that what was happening in the country’s maritime industry today was as result of President Olusegun Obasanjo's reforms . Usoro explained that Nigeria would become a maritime hub in the West and Central African sub region within the next one year.
She told the investors that business opportunities such as construction of terminal, jetties, inland container depots, cargo operation are available in the country. Other opportunities she listed include ship building and ship repairs, underwater security, equipment leasing, marine insurance, maritime legal services, man power training among others.
Usoro assured that adequate security had been put in place for operators before government handed the ports to the concessionaires.
One of the firms, African Steel Mills Nigeria Limited said they are interested in investing in the ferry service business in the country, as a means of improving water transportation which has remained mostly under-ultised in the past.
Chairman of African Steel Mills Nigeria Limited, Mr P K Gupta said his company was interested in ferry services and other available opportunities. Gupta said that the new reform in the maritime sector would lift the country up and make it the hub of maritime in Africa.
Also, Dr J V Smallman, Managing Director of H R Walling Ford who said her company had already opened office in Nigeria would invest in the sector. Mr Philip Wareham, a partner with Holman Fenwick and Willan Company, who was the first to disclose his firm’s intention to invest in Nigeria, said that privatisation was a good thing for Nigerian ports.
Wareham added that a lot of progress had been made in the maritime industry in Nigeria. he said his company would look into the various opportunities offered by NAMASA's director general and explore them.
Mr John Owens who asserted that new changes in port sector were good for the country said this would make the Nigerian economy buoyant. "Many years ago when ports operations was being handled by the Nigerian Ports Authority, there was gross inefficiency but the new changes is a good development to Nigerian economy’’, he noted. "We are coming to Nigeria to invest .
"Already we have been talking with relevant people. Nigeria is a large country with a dynamic economy ,’’ he said
Other big entrepreneurs who are willing to invest in the country's maritime sector are Mr Everitt, chief executive of Port of London; Tom Dreman, Elp Marine; Allan Duncan, Duncan Maritime; Robert Hennessy, Port Technology International; Steve Cameron, Costain among others.
Meanwhile, NAMASA director general has pledged to link the investors with the management of Nigerian Ports Authority to actualise their investment plans.
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