By Lukman Amusa
In a bid to continue to boost investors’ confidence in the Nigerian maritime sector, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) is set to unveil the 2019-2020 Nigerian Maritime Industry Forecast. The projection, the second in the series and an innovation in the Nigerian maritime industry, will take place in Lagos. Speaking ahead of the event, the Director General of NIMASA, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, reiterated the Federal Government’s determination to diversify the economy, saying the maritime sector remains a viable alternative in this effort. Dakuku said there was need to keep stakeholders and investors abreast of trends in the industry to serve as a guide. “The maritime industry is a focal part of the Nigerian economy and the Federal Government is determined to explore all opportunities in the sector for economic growth and benefits. To achieve this, there is a need to collaborate with our stakeholders and make them aware of global trends in the maritime sector in order to assist them make informed decisions on business and investment opportunities in the sector,” the DG said. Dakuku assured stakeholders of the determination and commitment of the Agency towards its mandate of promoting and regulating shipping in the industry. He urged them to join hands with NIMASA in the effort to realise a robust maritime sector that can compete favourably with its counterparts in other maritime climes. The DG disclosed that the forecast will focus on the core mandates of the Agency, which include Maritime Safety, Maritime Security, Marine Environment Management, and Shipping Development. This, he said, is with the ultimate goal of utilising the opportunities that abound in the maritime sector in line with the concept of the blue economy, an emerging global concept emphasising better exploitation of the ocean resources for the preservation of the marine environment. He noted that the forecast will be released from a holistic perspective in order to know areas of advantage that would be of benefit to stakeholders and industry players, both locally and internationally. The 2019 Nigerian maritime industry forecast is a set of predictions based on study of trends and patterns and it is intended to serve as a guide for investors and stakeholders in the industry. It would be recalled that at the first edition of the forecast, the Nigerian maritime industry was projected to grow by 2.5 – 5 percent within the period 2018-2019, with a projected increase in demand for maritime services in Nigeria during the period. On the whole, records show that the performance of the maritime sector in 2018 was unprecedented largely due to the collaborative efforts of the Agency and relevant stakeholders in the sector.
