Belgian executives of the Port of Antwerp International have announced their interest in Nigeria’s new Maritime Policy, through improved consultancy between Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and the Port of Antwerp.
This was disclosed by Mr Philip Kyanet, Head, Corporate Communications, NIMASA, in a statement, on Sunday, in Lagos after Mr Kristof Waterschoot, Managing Director of APEC-Antwerp/Flanders Port Training Centre and Port of Antwerp International and Mr Mario Lievens, Director at Port of Antwerp International met with the Director-General, NIMASA, Dr Bashir Jamoh.
The NIMASA DG’s meeting with the executives was held at the Nigerian Belgian Chamber of Commerce, Onikan, Lagos where he disclosed that the Port of Antwerp expressed interest in the cooperation, training and improved relationship between both parties and also declared interests in Inland Ports, citing that Nigeria’s proposed National Maritime Transport Policy is being monitored by Belgian investors.
”We believe in Nigeria and we observe that the business climate in Nigeria can be difficult, but there is hardly any country without its peculiar difficulties,” they said.
Reacting to the proposal Dr Jamoh said, ”One area I will like the Belgian private sector to come in is wreck removal and wreck recycling. There is a huge investment opportunity there, and there is also a big room for collaboration. This is more so as the Federal Government is planning a coordinated policy on wreck removal.”
Dr. Jamoh stated that Nigeria Maritime Transport Policy is part of a larger policy to purposed to build alternatives to oil. “The maritime sector is consciously being opened up for investment, by local and foreign investors to build a sustainable blue economy,” he added.
What you should know
- The Port of Antwerp International is Europe’s second-largest port, which offers operations that strengthen ports and terminals through consultancy, management solutions, investment projects and training.
- The FG approved funding for the expanding of other ports away from Lagos as Nairametrics reported on December 2020 that the Akwa Ibom State Government disclosed the first of the $4.6 billion Ibom Deep Seaport (IDSP) has been approved by the Federal Government. The first phase would cost $2.016 billion.
- The Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed also stated that Nigeria’s focus on removing ease of doing business bottlenecks including port reforms would help Nigeria’s rating in the Global Corruption indices.