A stakeholder in Maritime Industry, Mr. Somiari Prince Halliday, has said that the establishment of a new National Shipping Line would help settle the problem of low indigenous participation in international shipping business.

Mr. Halliday who barred his mind in an interview with The Tide  correspondent in Port Harcourt yesterday said the move would help give the maritime sector in Nigeria a boost as well as create employment opportunities for the nation’s teeming maritime graduates.

He said the acquisition of a new national carrier would also boost the economy, describing it as a right step in the right direction.

According to him, since the liquidation of the first National carrier, known as Nigerian National Shipping Line (NNSL) some decades ago, Nigeria is ripe to own another national carrier, adding that the benefits associated with maritime industries cannot be over-emphasised.

Mr. Halliday, who is the president of Association of Indigenous Importers and Exporters in Niger Delta (AIIEND)observed that his association took a cursory look at  the operations of the foreign carriers and discovered a thick cleavage to foreign concessionaires in Nigerian ports to the detriment of indigenous concessionaires.

This has greatly weakened the operations of the indigenous  concessionaires inspite of their vibrant preparedness for operations most especially the Rivers Ports in Port Harcourt Area 1, Koko Port in Delta and others.

He however, reiterated that graduates from Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron in Akwa Ibom State and others from private maritime institutions would be gainfully employed  indigenous shipping line, thereby reducing the number of unemployment in the country.

On the condition of some access roads to the sea ports, the president of AIIEND who decried the poor and deplorable situation of the roads  called on the government not to hesitate on ensuring good access roads to the various ports.

Collins Barasimeye