The Executive Secretary, Nigerian Shippers ‘ Council (NSC) Mr. Hassan Bello over the weekend, advocated the need for the federal government to place high premium on exportation of Nigerian commodities, saying the maritime sector has the capacity to finance the nation’s budget concurrently.
Bello at several fora , has urged the Federal Government to invest in the sector as part of efforts to grow the economy aside oil.
In a chat on the sidelines of the rail inspection project conducted by the Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi , Bello stressed that “Nigeria should concentrate on exports, adding that “We cannot be an import-dependent economy. We have tried oil, it has failed us. It is volatile, unpredictable, uncertain.
Bello stressed that the Council is interested in making the maritime business contribute greatly to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product.
“Maritime is where the government should make investment because it can finance Nigeria’s budget over and over again. It has more potential and Nigeria should really concentrate on that.”
The NSC boss who lauded the Lagos-Ibadan rail project said it would herald a rail revolution in the country.
He said, “We need access to the ports because our exports products are perishable. They are temperature sensitive and sometimes, access to the ports takes a long time but with the rail, it goes.
“What we intend to do is that ships coming to Nigeria would have the rail there and they would just offload the cargo and off to Ibadan they come. Customs duty will be paid and off you go. You will shunt Lagos with its congestion and gridlock and come here. What could be more beautiful”.
Bello said the shippers’ council wants Ibadan to be the process zone for export that has been processed. He added that the construction of the rail would help the Ibadan dry port function, stressing that it was a dual mandate.
As regards to the decision by the shippers’ council to shelve container deposit, he said the move was to indemnify risk and make business easier.
He said, “the cash is a drain on shippers and a drain on shipping companies. It is better indemnified- use insurance to penetrate in shipping so that the risks can be shared. I will work with NAICOM and shipping companies to reduce the cost of doing business because we think it is strenuous and tedious for us to be having container deposit.”
By Roland Ekama
