The Minister of Transportation, Mu’azu Sambo, has assured that he will ensure that the Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund (CVFF), disbursed to deserving beneficiaries, no matter what it takes.
Sambo said his Ministry will work with the management of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) to ensure the disbursement of the fund, which he said, will boost shipping activities in the country’s marine sector.
The $350 million Fund is meant to assist indigenous ship owners with loans to acquire assets, but has remained inaccessible for about 19 years, thereby defeating its objective of boosting international trade and creating jobs.
The Minister was quoted to have given the assurance in a statement in Lagos on Monday, signed by the Assistant Director, Public Relations, NIMASA, Edward Osagie.
He said: “If there is a jinx about the CVFF, I am going to break it by getting it disbursed to deserving Nigerians.
“If these funds are disbursed, the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration and the Federal Ministry of Transportation will take credit, while it remains a legacy in your administration.”
Sambo called for more synergy between NIMASA and other parastatals under the Ministry, as well as with the Nigerian Navy and Armed forces toward ensuring the success of the Deep Blue Project.
He was said to have commended the management of NIMASA for its capacity development initiatives in the Nigerian maritime sector, and for remaining focused in the delivery of its mandate.
He noted that the Agency now has a better image than it had 10 years ago by raising the bar, which he said is a symbol of team work.
“I am impressed with the customer experience centre and your efforts to attract young Nigerians into the maritime sector via various capacity development projects including the essay competition for secondary school students,” he said.
The minister also undertook a tour of the NIMASA Maritime Stakeholders Experience Contact Centre (MSECC), a 24-hour centre which serves as a platform for both internal and external stakeholders to resolve any issue within the stipulated hours.
If there is a jinx about the CVFF, I am going to break it by getting it disbursed to deserving Nigerians.
Agency activities
Commenting, the Director-General of NIMASA, Dr Bashir Jamoh, thanked the Minister for his dynamic leadership, and assured of the Agency’s commitment to actualising its mandate as stipulated in the four enabling Acts of the National Assembly.
Jamoh listed some of the activities of NIMASA in realising a robust maritime sector to include obtaining approval for physical and monetary incentives for ship owners to purchase brand new vessels at zero duty as well as assisting them in accessing foreign exchange at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) rate.
“The move is to help phase out old and rickety vessels from the nation’s waterways and encourage more participation in the Nigerian shipping industry,” he said.
He also informed that under the Deep Blue Project, about 600 Special Forces from the Nigerian Navy, Nigerian Army, Nigerian Air Force, Department of State Security, amongst others, were undergoing training for special skills to ensure effective implementation of the project.
He said the aim is to ensure that the nation’s waterways remain safe and free from all forms of criminalities.
Jamoh also said that under the Nigerian Seafarers Development Programme (NSDP) scheme, over 2,000 Nigerians had undergone training, with about 800 actively engaged on various ships, with a huge number of them working on the Nigerian LNG (NLNG) ships.
He said NIMASA is developing a National Ship Building and Infrastructure Development Strategy, aimed at bridging the gap of capacity building for trained seafarers.
“Other achievements listed include but are not limited to; enhanced maritime safety administration through effective ports and flag states inspection on foreign and Nigerian flagged vessels; enforcement of safety regulations on barges; and tugboats through Operation Sting Ray.
“Reactivation of Online Seafarers Certificate of Competency Verification Platform, and commenced activities toward ensuring GHG emission reduction in the maritime sector with an emphasis on achieving 0.5 per cent Sulphur Oxide (SO2) in Bunker fuel oil,” he said.
