Shipping costs country $2.2bn in 2014 - Committee Chairman

Mr. Olu Akinsoji, the Chairman, Ministerial Committee on Modalities for the Establishment of Nigerian Fleet , has said that Nigeria lost 2.2 billion dollars in 2014 due to the lack of ships.

Akinsoji said this while submitting the committee's report to the Minister of Transportation, Mr Rotimi Amaechi in Abuja.

He said that in 2014, over 5,000 ships sailed into Nigeria, but noted that most of them were not owned by Nigerians.

``If 50 per cent of the number of ships that came to Nigeria in 2014 were Nigerian ships, earning 3,000 dollars per person, Nigeria would have generated 2.2 billion dollars in that year.

``That is apart from the freight that is accruable by carrying Nigerian cargoes; the seafarer who would have worked on those ships, would have earned 2.2billion dollars.

``Every family of that seafarer would have benefited from the cargoes; so, these are the kind of losses we are making for not having ships that are carrying our tag.

``All the international cargoes we generated were carried by foreigners; we do not have ships in international waters carrying dry cargoes.``

According to him, if Nigeria has ships in international waters carrying dry cargoes, the country will generate huge financial resources and create jobs for youths in the maritime sector.