Nigeria, Turkey to Partner on Shipbuilding
Aiswarya Lakshmi
Tuesday, January 6, 2015
The Nigerian Ship owners’ Association (NISA) and Turkish Shipowners’ Association (TUSA) has flagged off a working relationship to develop water transportation and ship yards, in the Nigeria maritime sector.
The Nigerian Shipowners’ Association (NISA), and the Turkish Shipowners’ Association (TUSA) have entered into a working relationship for the development of the Nigerian Maritime industry in the area of shipbuilding, repair and sharing of latest shipping technology.
The TUSA President, Capt. Yunus Can explained at NISA’s secretariat in Lagos that the mutual working relationship between Nigeria and Turkey would lead to enhanced availability of passengers boats, development of shipyards and blueprint for ship maintenance. Yunus Can noted that the collaboration was pertinent in other to move the country’s maritime industry forward.
Responding, the President of NISA Captain Niyi Labinjo said the visit of TUSA was strategic and highly important. The collaboration will be in the interest of Turkish ship owners association and NISA also, said the Captain.
This collaboration is coming on the heels of the emergence of the new leadership of NISA, which has vowed to take back the jobs of Nigeria ship owners lost to foreigners due to poor implementation of the Inland and Coastal Shipping (Cabotage) Act 2003. More than 10 years after enactment of the Act, it has remained a paper tiger while foreigners continue to dominate more than 80 percent of the coastal trade that is supposed to be controlled by Nigerians 100 percent.