Experts Want National Carrier Revived

The Minister of Trans
portation, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, has been called upon to revive the nation’s carrier, Nigerian National Shipping Line (NNSL) as part of efforts to rehabilitate the maritime sector.
A maritime expert and Chief Executive Officer of Tom-Harry Marine Investment, Chief Ernest Tom-Harry made the call in a chat with The Tide correspondent in Port Harcourt recently.
Tom Harry said the refloating of the national  carrier would take Nigeria to greater heights in  maritime industry in the world as well as help the Nigerian Cadets get the right training on board such vessels.
He opined that the reviving of the Nigerian National Shipping Line will help improve the economy and indeed the nation, but preferred that it should be on Public Private Partnership (PPP) for efficiency, accountability and effectiveness.
The Chief Executive Officer noted that government should only have a share in revamping the carrier and not to run it alone because, “The world is actually moving away from government to remain in business and shipping industry is no exception”.
According to him, it should be 7o per cent private and 30 per cent government because Nigerians do most importation than export including the crude oil, stressing that, “we are losing out because we are not earning from freight.
“The reviving of the national carrier is going to be a good idea and a plus to the present administration, but it should be structured properly that government will have little or nothing to do with the setting up, and by that way, we can guarantee that it will work”, Tom-Harry posited.
The revival will also create employment opportunities for job seeking Nigerians and boost the economy.

Collins Barasimeye