A foremost maritime capacity building organization in Nigeria, Zoe Maritime Resources Limited, have advised the Federal government to exercise its political powers and quickly disburse the Cabotage Vessel Financial Fund, CVFF, that was created by the Coastal and Inland Shipping Cabotage Act (2003), to prevent it from posing a threat to shipping in Nigeria. According to them, “Government must exercise the political will to disburse the Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund created by the Coastal and Inland Shipping Cabotage Act (2003). The non-operation or disbursement of the Cabotage Vessel Finance Fund is a deeply disturbing matter, which presents both an opportunity and a threat to Shipping in Nigeria.”
The organization also warned the government of the looming danger ahead if the neglect that led to the failed Ship Building and Ship Acquisition Fund under the defunct National Shipping Policy. Cabotage Act: NIMASA’s bold new steps to protect indigenous operators “There is a need to learn from the pitfalls of the failed Ship Building and Ship Acquisition Fund under the defunct National Shipping Policy.”
Disclosing this to Vanguard Maritime Report through the public relations officer, Elizabeth Eli, in a communiqué on their second quarterly Maritime business roundtable breakfast meeting with the theme, “Financing Maritime Infrastructure in Nigeria”, recently held in Lagos, the group stated that despite the CVFF probably not the final solution to the problem of ship acquisition, it still represents a real and practical means of assisting ship operators and indigenous investors in the Nigerian maritime space to become ship owners and to grow Nigerian tonnage while developing local capacity. Vanguard
Pix: Chibuike Amaechi, Transport Mnister
