The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) at the weekend restated that the country remains steadfast in its decision to stop the use of single-hull tankers by December 31 this year.
Dr. Bashir Jamoh, Director-General of NIMASA, stated this in Lagos during a meeting with the Ship Owners Association of Nigeria (SOAN). The meeting, held virtually, was hosted by the Agency at its headquarters.
Jamoh also disclosed that NIMASA had secured approval for the disbursement of the Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund (CVFF).
He said only the fine details of the scheme were being considered before commencement of pay-out.
Jamoh said: “We are committed to the complete phase-out of single-hull tankers by December 31. Operators still using this type of tanker should make adequate preparation to comply because there will be no going back on this decision.
“We have discussed the timeline for discontinuing the use of single-hull tankers and were given five years to comply with the ban, which is, to all intents and purposes, a generous allowance.”
The Director-General described shippers as “the beacon and hub of any developing economy,” saying, “the journey to success for the current management of NIMASA depends on the ship owners. We shall continue to pursue our functions of promoting and regulating shipping in collaboration with ship owners and all relevant stakeholders.”
Responding to the ship owners’ concerns about the CVFF, Jamoh stated that the Minister of Transportation, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi, had approved the disbursement of the fund, meant to assist operators in the acquisition of maritime assets.
