Shipyards, the world over is meant for the construction and repairs of ocean-going vessels. Dayo Mobereola, Director General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, appears to have taken seriously ship building and ship repairs seriously since his assumption of office in March 2023, aimed at strengthening Nigerian maritime capacity.
This may have informed why the maritime agency with the support Adegboyega Oyetola, a former governor of Osun state and ministry of marine and blue economy, had prioritized the development of the development of local capacity in shipbuilding and repairs to remain ahead of other maritime nations in the West and Central African sub-regions.
Mobereola, the Nimasa, Chief Executive Officer, CEO, had shown that there is no gain back in the making Nigeria the hubs of maritime activities in the West and Central African subregions, as it has accredited 27, Registered shipyards across the country.
An elated Moereola, had said that the accreditation of the 27 shipyards by NINASA, under his Leadership was in accordance with its mandate as enshrined in section 22 of the agency Act ,2007, and sub-sections 335-339 of the Merchant Shipping Act, 2007, which gives the agency the statutory powers ‘’to regulate, license, inspect and enforce standards for shipyards ‘operation in Nigeria’’.
Given an insider information, he noted that out of the 27 accredited shipyards and repairs facilities, accredited by the agency, 10 are located in Lagos, the nation’s Commercial nerve -centre , eight in Rivers state and nine in Delta state, in the Niger Delta region.
The NIMASA, CEO, may haven dampened the mindset of companies that might have wanted to petition for not being accredited to watch it as there was not favouritism in the accreditation processes claiming that shipyards accredited are those that had complied with the agency’s stringent regulatory, safety and operational standards.
The NIMASA, helmsman who had already released the names of the accredited shipyards in Lagos, had said that that the accreditation exercise which forms part of the agency ‘s broader drive ‘’to enhance safety and streamline operational efficiency in the nation’s maritime industry was transparently handled.
He asserted that by maintaining a credible register of accredited shipyards and repair facilities across the country, would go long way to boosting investors’ confidence, protecting maritime assets and promoting sustainable industry growth in the upcoming years.
He was emphatic that ‘’the goal was for every shipyard in Nigeria to adhere to international standards of safety, environmental protection, and operational efficiency’’, as obtained in the North American country of the United States, US, United Kingdom, UK, the Asian country of China, Netherland, among others.
Many believes that what Mobereola and his Management Team are doing in NIMASA, was not no unexpected because he was working according to the Presidential mandate given to him’’to promoting the country’s maritime efficiency, safety and quality service delivery in ship repair, fry-docking of ships and vessel construction with Nigeria’’.
He may have gladdened the heart of industry operators when he disclosed that that a direct benefit of the accreditation of the 27 shipyards , in three states of the Federation , where much of the countries maritime activities are carried out on a daily basis is that vessels be built at these facilities will be assignd a Keel Identification Number , KIN, by the agency’s Maritime Safety and Seafarers Standards Department at the time of construction , in accordance with the Certificate of Plan and Specification Approval. He had declared that the KIN will make such a vessel eligible to obtain the International Maritime Organisation, IMO, Number.
What industry operators may have not known in the accreditation of the selected shipyards was ‘’it was a strenuous exercise, aimed at ensuring operational excellence across the nation’s maritime chain’’. Hear Him: By maintaining an update d and transparent registry of accredited facilities, NIMASA, seeks to enhance industry confidence, protect investments and align local operations with global best practices.
With the accreditation of the 27 shipyards in Nigeria, stakeholders see it as a step in the right direction which if sustained could rival the number of shipyards in Europe I and Asia. However, the accredited shipyards in Nigeria, according to maritime experts was still a far cry from the accredited shipyards in the North American country of the United States, US, and the Asian country of China or Netherland.
Take for instance, in the US, there are over 300 shipyards in 29 states of the Federation and the US, Virgin Island, which engage in in ship repairs and are capable of constructing ships but not actively engaged in shipbuilding activity.
The situation was not different from the Asian country of China, which going by reports from the World Trade Organisation, WTO, under the close watch of Ngozi Oonjo-Iweala, who incidentally was a former minister of Finance and Coordinator of the Nigerian Economy, during former President Goodluck Jonathann’s administration had 342 shipyards but only 175 of the said accredited shipyards in the Asian country were said to be actively involved in ship building. The number of accredited shipyards in the country may have dropped significantly in first quarter of 2024 to THE 175 figures of active shipyards due to alleged financial crisis in the country’s ship building industry which was said to have resulted in overcapacity, bankruptcies and restructuring.
The Chines shipyards may have shifted their focus from dry bulkers to high value-added and low carbon ship types, such as large -scale cruise ships and LNG carriers to remain in business. There is no gain saying the fact the Chinese ship building industry would ever remain robust, with the shipyards largely full until 2027, and orders extending too 2029, driven by the need to replace aging vessels by the shipping companies and by the growing requirement for low -carbon vessels.
The WTO, had reported that the orderbook-for deliveries ratio, in the China accredited and active shipyards, over the last couple of years had been on the increase, indicating a faster demand growth for new orders compared to the shipyard capacity to build new ships.
Netherlands may have not much of the accredited shipyards like US or China but it is considered to be one of advanced and well-established ship yards in the history of ship building and facilities that could handle a wide range of repair and maintenance work on vessels
Some of the notable shipyards in the country includes Damen Verolme in Roterdam, described as one of the largest accredited shipyard and repair, including container ships, RoRo ships, and offshore vessels. Royal IHC shipyard in Kinderdjik and Equipment Hegemann shipyard in Rottrdam to name but a few.
