The Director-General of Nigerian Maritime Administration And Safety Agency(NIMASA) has said that the maritime sector will play a strategic role in the turnaround of the Nigerian economy that is currently in recession. Speaking to maritime stakeholders in Port Harcourt, the Director-General said that the human capacity deficit currently existing in the sector will soon be filled so that the country can tap into the huge economic potentials that exist in the sector.
He said, "The maritime sector will play a strategic role in the turnaround of the Nigerian economy. We think that we are best suited when Nigeria is talking about diversification. Diversification needs to start from the maritime sector because it's got a lot of potentials in terms of employment generation, wealth creation and the contribution revenue to the national purse. The maritime sector has the potential of creating at least one million jobs within a short time. With the passage of the Cabotage Act, we can also create so much wealth within the short time. I don't think there is any other industry that will surpass the maritime if we commit our energies to the sector.
"In terms of human capacity, we have identified the fact that there is a gap. In a country of about 200 million people, we have about 22 ocean-going vessels, we have close to 1000 seafarers on board those vessels but we have potentials to have at least a million people on board the ocean-going vessels. We are addressing that through the NSCD programme and other intervention programmes we are undertaking."
