The Managing Director of NLNG Ship Management Limited (NSML), Mr. Abdul-Kadir Ahmed, says that Nigeria must embrace the global maritime standards, by employing competent people to actualize the dreams of a blue economy.
The NSML boss made this said this in Lagos recently during the 2022 annual lecture/awards organized by the Association of Maritime Journalists of Nigeria (AMJON).
Accorfing to him, the country needs to be abreast in such areas as safety, efficiency, se¬curity, capacity building and com¬petence to maximise potentials of a blue economy.
He explained that the blue economy is not local; but an in¬ternational industry with global standards, adding that it is the responsibility of regulators to make sure that these standards are strictly adhered to by opera¬tors in the sector.
Adul-Kadir, in a keynote ad¬dress at the event, themed: “Max¬imizing Nigeria’s Blue Economy Through Automation,” said the set of rules that contain the activ-ities of players within the sector apply not just to Nigerians; “they are a global set of standards that deal with safety, quality, efficiency and security.
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“And in that falls the purview of the regulatory bodies; the abil¬ity to define and enforce those standards, and most importantly, the ability to carry the industry and ensure that these standards are upheld.
“The second element pertains to capacity and competence, the ability not only to develop but also to domesticate the capacity to drive the Blue Economy.
“It is very critical and without the people and competent hands, it is impossible to ensure that the Blue Economy will develop in a sustainable manner.
“NSML is a subsidiary of NLNG, primarily responsible for shipping and maritime services and operations, and the aim of the creation is simply to develop and domesticate the global skillsets when it comes to shipping and marine services, which are crit¬ical to the blue economy.
“It is also quite important when you look at it from that per¬spective, to recognise that at the end of the day, the development of our resources will have an effect and impact on the lives of people.
“Nigeria as a country of 200 million people, with over 50% of our people below the age of 25, requires us to sustainably devel¬op our resources in such a way that we can provide the means of livelihood for this vast majority of people. And to effectively do that, there has to be a focus on the development of capacity and skill set.”
