Functioning steel industry key to Nigeria’s maritime development — SEREC

By Providence Ayanfeoluwa

The Sea Empowerment and Research Center, SEREC,has emphasized the value of a functioning alloy manufacture to an businesslike maritime assemblage successful Nigeria.

In a study titled, “Nigeria astatine 65: The Maritime Scorecard We Cannot Ignore”, Head of Research astatine SEREC, Eugene Nweke, said without a functioning alloy industry, Nigeria’s shipyards volition stay import-dependent, uncompetitive, and incapable to enactment large-scale vessel repair oregon caller building.

“Nigeria indispensable nexus maritime improvement with industrialisation by reviving steel, done modular mini-mills which is indispensable for a credible shipbuilding and repair industry,” the study stated.

Nweke described the solemnisation of 65 years of nationhood arsenic a milestone that should invitation sober reflection, particularly connected sectors that anchor economical survival, main among which is the maritime assemblage which helium described arsenic the lifeline done which implicit 80 percent of Nigeria’s commercialized flows.

He stated: “Multimodal transport is not optional. Until rail, barge and inland larboard integration go functional, Apapa and Tin Can volition stay choke points undermining commercialized efficiency. Revenue agencies indispensable determination from celebrating “record collections” to proving impact: larboard costs indispensable fall, cargo indispensable travel faster, and commercialized competitiveness indispensable rise.

“Without a functioning alloy industry, Nigeria’s shipyards stay import-dependent, uncompetitive, and incapable to enactment large-scale vessel repair oregon caller building.”

Lamenting that immoderate things are yet to beryllium fixed successful the assemblage helium said, “One nationalist relation unsocial does not marque a maritime nation. Sustainability requires governance escaped from governmental seizure and backed by backstage capital; Ports stay road-dependent, with obstruction and inland waterways underdeveloped — a resistance connected competitiveness.

“Environmental sustainability has not been mainstreamed into larboard concessions. Nigeria risks lagging planetary decarbonisation standards; we import machinery, food, and refined substance successful volumes that dwarf non-oil exports, draining scarce forex and worsening our equilibrium of trade; contempt progress, Gulf of Guinea transits stay overpriced owed to lingering piracy premiums and war-risk insurance.

“In 65 years, Nigeria has made undeniable strides – the enlargement of Apapa, Tin Can, Calabar and Onne ports; determination enactment successful the Gulf of Guinea anti-piracy campaign; and a increasing excavation of trained Nigerian seafarers done public–private grooming pipelines. The caller re-emergence of a nationalist instrumentality shipping relation besides signals a renewed ambition to reclaim a nationalist maritime identity.

“Yet, the sector’s communicative is inactive defined much by its unrealised imaginable than its achievements.”

The station Functioning alloy manufacture cardinal to Nigeria’s maritime improvement — SEREC appeared archetypal connected Vanguard News.