The Women in Maritime Africa, Nigeria chapter (WIMA-Nigeria), has expressed deep concern regarding the multiple registrations of vessels and barges within the country.
Mrs. Rollens Macfoy, the President of WIMA Nigeria, made these remarks during a press conference held in Lagos on Thursday.
Under the theme, ‘The Marine & Blue Economy Ministry – A Call for Heedfulness,’ this group of maritime professionals called upon the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Mr. Adegboyega Oyetola, to address the various obstacles hindering the ease of conducting business in the maritime sector.
Macfoy emphasized that the practice of multiple vessel and barge registrations is significantly detrimental to the health of Nigeria’s maritime industry. It is a matter that the maritime workers feel requires immediate attention and resolution.
“It is so difficult to register barges, and up till the last time I checked, barge owners registered with shippers council, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA).
“All these things are money, and it makes the cost of doing business to be high.
“Why can’t we register with one agency and then avail all the other agencies copies to give them a soft landing because the end users take it all, the cost goes to them,” she said.
It is worth noting that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu appointed the former governor of Osun State as the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, with the objective of tapping into the sector’s considerable potential.
