Shipping can’t be developed through politicking – Expert tells Tinubu

Mr. Isaac Jolapamo, founding president of the Nigerian Shipowners Association (NISA), has urged President Bola Tinubu not to play politics with the development of shipping in the country.

Jolapamo said in Lagos on Thursday that a professional in the sector would help drive the sector's agenda.

According to Jolapamo, there are standards to be met in the sector, with the hope that the new government will develop the industry.

“Political consideration should be pushed out before making appointments that are either on the board or executives of agencies in the maritime industry.

“This will only help to drive agenda for the sector, but of course when we don’t have any agenda, the ship will just be floating and not having a set course,” he said.

He noted that the shipowners association was approaching the government on challenges in the industry.

“People that spoil the broth, a lot of them, are challatants, and because of their political image or something, they tend to get the upper hand; they get listened to before the professionals.

“But we are getting some respite; hopefully this time things will work well,” he said.

Jolapamo said that the country needed to get into the real shipping business through ownership and management to push the industry forward.

“This is because every other thing revolves around shipping. You can increase the government's pulse only by blocking what goes out, and what goes out is enormous.

“The shipping services we are getting are imported on all fronts, whether coastal or international. There should be deliberate efforts to set the pace for developing shipping itself.

“And others will fall in place because in every maritime activity, it’s the ship that is in the center. All others are appendices,”’ he said.