Nigeria recognized in UNCTAD list of ship-owning countries

The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) has recognized Nigeria in the class of ship-owning countries.
Ms Olufunmilayo Folorunso, Secretary General of African Shipowners Association, who made this known to newsmen said that UNCTAD, which is dedicated to trade and development, captured the information in its annual report for 2020, confirming Nigeria as the only African country in the class, besides Liberia, which is not flagged Africa.
She said, “UNCTAD does global pictures and they produce an annual report. In the annual report for 2020, excerpts of which we got in November 2020, and went through it thoroughly, the highlight for me was the fact that Nigeria is part of the Top 35 ship-owing countries.
The only other African country listed is Liberia, and it not truly flagged Africa. For me that is great news. And our percentage on that table is 0.31.
“This, to me, means that we have started climbing the leadership, we have started moving. Of all African countries, we are there. The percentage doesn’t matter yet, as long as we are in a class!
“This is fantastic news coming as soon as the AfCFTA is coming into action. It is now for us as a nation to strategize on how we can, in the next 12 months, move from point 0.3 to 1.0 or move ahead greater than that.”
Using the opportunities in AfCFTA Considering efforts going on for a new fleet development for Nigeria, and the opportunities now for bigger trade through the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement, AfCFTA, Folorunso said commendations should actually go to the Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Bashir Jamoh, the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, Hassan Bello, who is leading the Fleet Development Committee, as well as the Ship Registry Committee.