A Lagos-based maritime expert and the Chief Executive Officer of Ships & Port, Dr Bolaji Akinola, has described Nigeria’s bid to get re-elected into the Category C council of the International Maritime Organisation as ‘wasteful’ with no benefits other than ‘boosting personal ego’.
The International Maritime Organisation is a specialised agency of the United Nations responsible for regulating shipping.
Biennially, the IMO’s governing body known as the Assembly elects countries into three different councils.
The three councils divided into categories A, B and C have various functions.
Category A represents the eight countries with the ‘largest interest’ in providing international shipping services.
Category B includes eight countries with the largest interest in providing international seaborne trade.
Category C contains 16 countries with a ‘special interest’ in maritime transport, selected to ensure equitable geographic representation.
Nigeria is bidding to get re-elected into category C following four successive defeats going back to 2011.
In a statement, Akinola said, “One of the most mundane of NIMASA pursuits is the wasteful and relentless chase for election into Category C of the Council of the International Maritime Organisation.
“Every DG of NIMASA wants to show off as the one that got Nigeria elected into the council, though other than boosting personal ego, the benefit of such an election remains to be seen.
“NIMASA spends millions of dollars every two years chasing this zero-value pipe dream.
“In the past 30 years, Nigeria has been elected into the IMO Council only three times – in 2000, 2007 and 2009.”
He added that every other attempt to return to the council since the country’s last election in 2009 had been rebuffed by other IMO member states.
