Business
Mariner Bemoans Lull In Maritime Industry
A mariner and Chairman,
Marine Equipment Owners and Leasing Association of Nigeria (MEOLAN), Rivers State, Sir Dan Harrison, has said that the threat by militants in the Niger Delta has drastically affected the maritime industry in the region.
Harrison, who made the assertion in a chat with The Tide in his office in Port Harcourt opined that since the resurgence of militancy, their equipment have been lying idle at the jetties for fear of being attacked on the sea while most oil companies and vessel owners have also closed down their operations.
According to him, the leasing business had been fluctuating as most oil companies have stopped their activities with most key players in the maritime sector leaving the business because of the prevailing situation.
He said, “The International Oil Companies (IOC) are skeptical to do big business because of the situation. So many have left because they are afraid to invest, but it is only few that are taking the risk. So many equipment are lying at the jetties packed because there is no work”.
The mariner however expressed optimism that the situation will improve soon and called for understanding.
On the people of Niger Delta especially Rivers people to invest in maritime business, the stakeholder said the ratio could not be compared as the business is capital intensive and lacked awareness as well as failure of banks to assist the sector.
According to him the maritime industry is wide and in three stages, those who ply speed boats that convey people to and from riverine communities that have a good number of persons from this area, also those who transport oil workers to rigs as well as those who lease tug boats, barges and sea going vessels doing supply were being dominated by others.
He noted that the industry if patronised could reduce unemployment rate in the state, but decried lack of state of the art maritime institutions to train people on maritime courses as one of the banes militating against people coming into the business.
Harrison lamented that the few institutions that have maritime courses both theory and practical are not well equipped compared to their foreign counterparts, and called for a real maritime institute that could graduate qualified mariners and not half baked.
He also called for banks assistance to the industry and awareness for the industry to grow and for more people to go into the business.