Matthew Otoijagha
The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, the Nigerian Export Promotion Council and the Nigerian Shippers Council have collaborated to promote the participation of Nigerian ship-owners in general cargo shipment.
The Director, Western Zone, NIMASA, Olayemi Abass, made this known in a press briefing to herald a stakeholders’ workshop on non-oil export trade in the South-West scheduled to hold in Oyo State on the first week of November.
Abass listed the objectives of the workshop to as enlightening stakeholders on the prospects and procedures for promotion of non-oil export, shipping and trade capacity in the South-West; encouraging and promoting indigenous participation of shipping companies in lifting Nigeria’s export goods in the South-West; expanding sea-borne trade of South-West zone by five per cent annually by attracting investors while also promoting efficient access to funding of non-oil export shipping and trade.
Abass who also doubles as the Chairman, Organizing Committee for the workshop, added that the event would feature paper presentations by key stakeholders from the NEPC, Nigerian Quarantine Agricultural Services, Central Bank of Nigeria and the NSC.
According to him, the event is expected to attract over 200 participants drawn across the country. “This is just a pilot scheme which would be extended to the other geopolitical zones. It is our hope that this workshop would address the challenges of non-oil exports trade in the country,” he said.