Master Mariners Seek Opportunities For Nigerian Seafarers In AfCFTA
. Wants Review Of Near Coastal Voyage Code
By Sulaimon Salau
Nigeria Association of Master Mariners (NAMM), has stressed the need for Nigeria to perfect its strategies that would enable more of its seafarers to partake in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) regime.
NAMM at its third Quarterly paper presentation held in Apapa, Lagos, highlighted the importance of the maritime sector to regional trade, noting that the AfCFTA agreement is expected to increase intra-African freight by 28% and demand for maritime freight by 62%.
Speaking at the forum, the Secretary-General of the Memorandum of Understanding on Port State Control for West and Central African Region (Abuja MoU), Capt. Sunday Umoren, said AfCFTA presents an extraordinary platform and opportunity to breathe life into the almost nonexistent or comatose intra-African trade with consequent positive economic development.
He said 54 have already signed the Agreement (exception of Eritrea) and only 47 have ratified it so far. On estimate, this covers 1.2 billion people with a $3-trillion combined GDP. This is a sizeable economic bloc in the world and is expected to steadily increase through 2050.
Noting that AfCFTA would present a great opportunity for the growth of Blue Economy in Africa, Umoren said, who was a guest speaker at the forum, said AfCFTA could double maritime freight from 58 to 131.5 million tons.
“With the current tonnage, the surge in demand would require much more tonnages and thus substantial investment in maritime infrastructure and services,” he stated.
He said Africa needs substantial investments in ship ownership, port facilities and demand, supply, and markets determinants, if it is poised to excel in shipping-related gains that are linked to trade liberalization within the continent.
Noting that the stage is set for African shipowners to exhibit their professionalism and excel under the platform of AfCFTA, he said shipowners and investors need to have a clear roadmap leading through strategic action plan, fostering relationships with all players and stakeholders in the maritime cluster with the view to actualize the dream of having sufficient tonnage to service the outcome of the effort to boost the maritime services.
He noted that Africa will require 100 move vessels and enormous investment in transport equipment and infrastructure, if AfCFTA is to be fully implemented.
Umoren said the Abuja MoU Secretariat has continued to work towards the success of the regional trade regime.
He assured that the Secretariat would continue to work with all relevant stakeholders, and to empower maritime administrations and port authorities to grow the maritime industry so as to foster trade and development.
He disclosed that the Abuja MoU is working with stakeholders to review and develop a new Near Coastal Voyage (NCV) Code which would be launched soon.
According to him, the Near Coastal Code is aimed at the standardization and harmonization of trainings, operations and general requirements for specified vessels within the member states of the Abuja MoU.
He said the acceptance and enforcement of the NCV Code will assist in removing the barriers on vessels trading within the region.
In the new regulations awaiting gazetting. It is defined as a voyage during which the vessel is not more than 150 nautical miles from a safe haven in Nigeria.
President, NAMM, Captain Tajudeen Alao, said the new NCV Code definition might cause a setback for Nigerian seafarers in terms of participation in the regional seaborne trade.
He raised concerns that some of the Nigerian seafarers with NCV certificate may not enjoy the benefits of AfCFTA trade because of the limitations in the law (“150 nautical miles from a safe haven in Nigeria”).
He urged the governments to provide more opportunities for regional seafarers through a new NCV Code.
He said: “Ship financing is lacking. Human capital we have for international trade is limited. The NCV is challenged, because by this convention you cannot go beyond Cape Verde to Congo, not more than 30 miles from the shore (before now), but the new Code is telling you not to go beyond 150 miles from the port of safety. That means within Nigerian waters, if you go away to the sea, you are not covered by the law, not to mention the Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ) of about 220 nautical miles. So we need to look into this critically for us to key into AfCFTA. As at now, unless the Code comes, we might have shot ourselves in the legs”.
