L-R: Area Manager, Nationalinl and Waterways Authority (Niwa), Lagos, Muazu Sambo; Managing Director, Lagos State Waterways Authority (Laswa), Bisola Kamson; Chairman, Lagos Ferries Operators, Paul Kalejaiye, and Representative of the Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Transportation, Adebolamatanmi, at a Joint Presentation of Guidelines and Standards for Water transportation in Lagos State, on Tuesday.

The Federal Government
loses 500 million dollars (N98.5 billion) yearly on ships being repaired outside the country.
This was disclosed by the President, Ship Owners Association of Nigeria (SOAN), Engineer Greg Ogbeifun, in a paper titled, .
Taking Nigeria’s Economy to its Dream Height, Shipping sector in perspective”, at an event in Lagos, recem\\ntly.
Ogbeifun, who is also the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Starz Marine and Engineering Ltd, Onne Port Complex, Rivers State, said there is need for Nigerian ship owners to start patronizing Nigeria dockyards rather than taking their ships outside the country for repair works which could perfectly be handled here by the indigenous dockyards.
According to him, it is cheaper and safer                                                                                                                           vbrepairing ships in Nigeria rather than overseas, and further called on the Federal Government to assist and revive the shipyards to compete favourably with their counterparts abroad and to generate more revenue for the country.
The SOAN President who also stressed the need for the Federal Government to support indigenous shipowners to procure ships and train cadets on sea time experience, said if Nigeria Shipowners were given the opportunity, they would train more cadets, thereby creating more job opportunities for the teeming youths of the country.
He frowned that instead of the federal government to provide ships for the training of cadets on sea time experience, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) was busy awarding sea time training contracts to those who did not have anything to do with shipping.
Ogbeifun urged indigenous shipowners who had ships to endeavour to train cadets on sea time experience to compliement government’s effort, adding that his company, Starz Marine and Engineering Ltd has trained 13 cadets on sea time experience and awarded certificate of competency.