The President of the Nigerian Chamber of Shipping, Mr Aminu Umar has explained that only small boats and tug boats can access the N50bn modular floating dock belonging to the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency.
In response to NIMASA’s claim that Melsmore Marine Nigeria Limited relocated its modular floating dock from the Naval Dockyard to the waterfront of the Dolphine Jetty at the Nigerian Ports Authority’s Dockyard, Umar stated in a phone conversation with The PUNCH on Tuesday that many ships were utilising dry docking services at other locations.
While addressing officials of Melsmore, the Director General of NIMASA, Dr Bashir Jamoh, emphasised the need for them to review the action plan in the light of realities on the ground.
He said, “Nigerians eagerly await the deployment of the modular floating dock. This is a national asset, which has the potential to boost maritime trade, create jobs, and develop skills by providing training avenues to various maritime training institutions in Nigeria. While also attracting foreign investment and preventing capital flight, thereby generating revenue. We hope to have students from the Maritime Academy of Nigeria and the Maritime University, Okerenkoko, amongst other maritime institutions come for practical time,” the NIMASA DG said.
Meanwhile, the shipping chamber president noted, “I believe that if it commences operations properly, some boats and small ships will be able to utilise that dry dock, it will be helpful. What I don’t know is the commencement date of the dry dock operations.
“I only saw that they have moved it to the Marina in preparation to move it to the continental shipyard to access the dry dock. Most of the ships are already accessing dry dock within the country.”
He explained that there is a dry dock in Nigerdock and about two or three dry docks in Port-Harcourt.
“So, most of the boats that might go there are already accessing other dry docks within the country. Savings will be made because vessels in Lagos can now go there instead of going to PH for dry docking. So, I am sure that it will save time and bunkers and possibly there might be some good pricing discount from the NIMASA operated dry dock compared to the private sector operated dry dock.”
“When you talk of ships going to dry dock outside Nigeria, most of them are bigger than this dry dock. If they want to go to the NIMASA dry dock, they are bigger than the dry dock, so they won’t have access to it.”
According to Umar, Nigerians who operate tankers cannot use the dry dock because of their size.
“But the smaller boats like the tugboat, cruise boat and all that can access the dry dock,” he concluded.
