…Maritime sector key to Nigeria’s economic revival says Dogara.
\n….Pledges Commitment to Passing Suppression of Piracy and other unlawful
\nActs at Sea Bill<\/p>\n
The Speaker of the House of Representatives , Hon Yakubu Dogara, has
\nexpressed dismay that\u00a0 Illegal Unreported and Unregulated ( IUU ) fishing
\nleads to an annual loss of over 1.3 billion dollars in West Africa alone.
\nThis is just as he pledged the commitment of the National Assembly to
\ncontinue to be active in passing legislations that will make Nigeria’s
\nseas and waterways safer for exploration and exploitation of its natural
\nresources for the benefit of Nigerians.
\nSpeaking while delivering a goodwill message at the annual conference of
\nthe Association of African Maritime Administrators in Abuja, the Speaker
\nsaid, “Statistics has it that Illegal Unreported and Unregulated ( IUU )
\nfishing leads to a loss of over 1.3 billion dollars in West Africa alone,
\nyearly.
\n“We must\u00a0 tighten the legal and regulatory framework to stop these losses.
\nWe must intensify efforts to promote intra- African trade in fisheries as
\nstatistics also show that Pan-African fish trade is worth about 20 billion
\neuros. This will help to sustain African economies in the long term.”
\nHe added, “We as a parliament have been at the forefront of legislation on
\nmaritime issues in the past and are currently, actively involved in
\nprocessing legislations in the maritime sector. The House of
\nRepresentatives of Nigeria only last week passed the National Transport
\nCommission Bill which it is hoped would have a huge impact on the maritime
\nsector especially with respect to economic regulation of activities of
\noperators and agencies in our maritime sector.”
\nThe Speaker also gave the commitment of the National Assembly to give
\nspeedy legislative action to the proposed Bill for an Act to provide for
\nthe Suppression of Piracy and other unlawful Acts at Sea (and other
\nrelated offences) and urged the executive to transmit it, and other IMO
\nconventions to the National Assembly.
\n“The Bill, when passed, is expected to \u201cgive expression to relevant
\nConventions, Treaties and Charters on safety and security and further
\nstrengthen Nigeria\u2019s desire to make its waters safe\u201d, according to the
\npromoters of the Bill. The bill is in the court of the Executive at the
\nthe moment and we await its transmission as an Executive Bill for
\nlegislative processing into law. The Executive should also use the
\nopportunity to transmit other IMO Conventions and Protocols that have been
\nacceded to by Nigeria, for domestication by the National Assembly,” the
\nSpeaker said.
\nFurthermore, he charged African maritime organisations to change the
\npresent situation where Africans do not benefit from the abundance of
\nnatural resources in its seas and waterways.
\nDogara said this is attainable only if the era of paying lip service to
\nproducing indigenous skilled sea men and women and indigenous fleet owners
\nis replaced with one\u00a0 in which conscious and practical actions are taken
\ntowards achieving the goal.
\n“Permit\u00a0 me to awake our conscience, even if it amounts to a rebuke, to
\nthe fact that the days of paying lip service to the emergence of, skilled
\nindigenous seamen and sea women and indigenous fleet owners, not vessel
\nowners, are well over. A strong man lifts the cargo he generates,
\ntherefore Africa must possess the capacity to lift the cargo it generates,
\nbe they dry or wet, if it must qualify as a strong maritime continent. The
\ngoal of this conference must not be the sustainable use of African oceans
\nand seas by non Africans but by Africans first and then others. I know of
\nvery few curses greater than for one to make his bed and for another to
\nlie on it. Therefore, my charge to you administrators, is to ensure that
\nas you make this bed, you will also be making Africans who must lie on it.<\/p>\n
The Speaker also stated that Nigeria\u2019s economic revival can be achieved
\nthrough the exploration and exploitation of Africa\u2019s vast ocean resources,
\nwhile noting that sadly, developing countries have not benefitted from the
\npotentials the resources the seas have to offer while developed\u00a0 countries
\nhave done well in exploiting these resources.
\n“Developed countries have done a better job of exploiting these
\nresources. We in Africa need to do much more to use these God given
\nresources to feed our people, fight poverty and develop efficient ports
\nand effectively administer the waters of the Seas. We can create high
\npaying jobs for our teeming youths, develop an efficient transportation
\nsystem, exploit efficiently the oil and gas resources and other minerals
\ncontained in the deep seas and oceans of Africa. Nigeria is potentially a
\nmajor maritime power considering the depth and breadth of our Exclusive
\nEconomic Zone and Territorial waters, and can do even more to efficiently
\nand effectively make sustainable use of the Oceans and Seas,” he
\nexplained.
\nSpeaking on some of the potentials, Dogara, added that fishing is one of
\nthe major economic activities of most maritime communities all over Africa
\nand sustainable development of the local fisheries sector has the capacity
\nto improve food security and lift people out of poverty and hunger.
\n“Fisheries and aquaculture provide jobs for millions of people including
\nour women and youths,” he said, adding, “as a maritime nation, Nigeria has
\na responsibility together with other nations and international
\norganisations, like the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), to make
\nour waters safe and secure.”
\n“It is as a result that the Legislature in Nigeria has been very active in
\nmaritime related legislations over the years. In 2007, the National
\nAssembly of Nigeria, created the Nigeria Maritime Administration and
\nSafety Agency (NIMASA) from the old National Maritime Authority (NMA) and
\namended the 1962 Merchant Shipping Act and empowered NIMASA to administer
\nthe Act.<\/p>\n
Furthermore, the National Assembly has domesticated twelve very important
\nMaritime Safety and Security Conventions of the IMO which are necessary
\nfor safeguarding security and safety in our region. It has also
\ndomesticated the International Ships and Port Facility Security (ISPS)
\nCode, which is a very important IMO Convention instrument for safety and
\nsecurity at Nigerian ports as part of its Ports State duties. The Nigerian
\nparliament has also domesticated eight important Conventions and Protocols
\non marine environment geared towards a clean, safe and secure marine
\nenvironment,” Dogara said.
\nHe also added that\u00a0 the parliament will actively participate in the
\ndiscussion of maritime security, safety, administration and development in
\nline with the impact of Climate Change and the possibility of developing a
\nblue economy following the Paris Convention on Climate Change.
\n“Nigeria and indeed Africa cannot be left behind. We shall play our own
\npart as\u00a0 when it is brought before us in due course,” he stated.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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