By Joy Okoli
The Nigeria Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has decried the level of capital flight from Nigeria, even as it attributes it chiefly to the absence of a robust iron and steel industry.
Corporate Communication and zonal coordinator, NCDMB, Dr. Ginah Ginah disclosed this recently at a seminar organised by the Maritime Reports’ Association of Nigeria (MARAN) in Lagos.
According to him, “NCDMB is in the process of establishing research institutes, that will be domiciled in four (4) universities in the country. This is because, most of the research is still being done outside the country. We need to have ours, instead of going out of the country.”
He also explained that the USD200m of the Nigerian Content Intervention Fund (NCIF) is set aside to save the industry from foreign dominance and also to provide funds to boost capacity of Nigerian participants in oil and gas production. According to him, three companies have benefitted from this money.
Also speaking, the Director General of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dakuku Peterside, stated that Nigeria still transports 70 % of its crude oil through ship.
Dakuku Peter side who was represented by an Assistant Director, Shipping Development, by Mrs. Anna Akpan, further said that the situation in the maritime industry is not different from other countries.
A maritime expert, Otunba Kunle Folarin while speaking, said he is not happy that foreign shipping lines have freedom to employ and engage foreign seafarers on oil vessels by our transport ministry. He said we have more foreigners on our waters.
He said “if only one of the vessels can have a Nigerian as its seafarer, we would be able to boost of about 5,000 Nigerians on board that vessel. We have spent so much on supporting foreign trade. How much are we getting back?”.
Iron and Steel: NCDMB decries Capital Flight
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