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Nigeria: 'Nimasa Shipyard Will Tackle Unemployment'

Director General of the National Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Patrick Akpobolokemi, has said that one of the gains of establishing a shipyard in Nigeria is job creation.

Akpobolokemi, in a chat with Daily Trust at the weekend, said Nigeria dominates about two-third of the Gulf of Guinea and that most of the jobs in the maritime sector are currently being handled by foreign nationals.

"With the modern facilities that are being installed at the NIMASA shipyard/Dock, Okerenkoko in Delta State, Nigerian youths can receive requisite training to work in the maritime sector. I dream of a period when our youths will be in charge of that sector. We can no longer afford to sit back and watch citizens of other nations take over the maritime space," he added.

Akpobolokemi further stated that the shipyard was established in Okerenkoko because it is the hub of oil activities in Nigeria.

"You can see Escravos tank farm where crude and gas loading takes place daily, so all the natural conditions are available there. The necessary draft for the ship yard is also there; that is why we are setting up these two projects, NIMASA shipyard and maritime university," he said.
Source: Daily Trust