An idle Nigerian Floating Dock

While we await the arrival of the Floating Dock imported by NIMASA, it is necessary to re-echo  that Nigeria has no Training Ship for Cadets trained at home and abroad.

The Federal Ministry of Transportation, FMOT, may have had good reasons to approve the importation of a floating dock by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA in 2013. Four years after, the Floating Dock, which we are told is being built in Netherlands , is yet to arrive.

Dr. Dakuku Peterside, the Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and safety Agency, NIMASA had said, late last year that the Agency is set to deliver what will be Africa’s fifth largest floating dockyard this year.

A press release signed by former head, corporate communications, hajia Lami Tumaka, who is now Director special duties, stated that the DG who was accompanied on one of his inspection trips by members of the National Assembly observed that a modular floating dockyard of the kind NIMASA is building in Netherlands,  apart from boosting ship repair capacity, has the potential to transform Nigeria’s maritime industry, generate wealth and create employment.

The statement noted that currently over 90% of vessels operating in Nigeria carry out their dry docking overseas fretting away the much needed foreign exchange at great cost to the country.

When we asked the question: “NIMASA is importing a floating Dock to repair ships Nigeria does not have. Don’t you think owners of the ships have Docks to maintain their ships or do you intend to compel ships to be repaired in Nigeria? NIMASA is yet to respond.

Recall that President Mohammadu Buhari, speaking at the commissioning ceremony of three Naval ships, Nigerian Navy Ship UNITY, Nigerian Navy Ship KARADUWA and the Nigerian Navy Tugboat COMMANDER EDWIN UGWU, commended the Nigerian Navy for building two out of the three ships that were commissioned.

The President had said, “It is most fulfilling to note that our own engineers at the Nigerian Navy Dockyard, Lagos and the Naval Shipyard, Port Harcourt are wholly responsible for the building of the Seaward Defense Boat, Nigerian Navy Ship KARADUWA and the Tugboat COMMANDER EDWIN UGWU, respectively.

According to the President, the Nigerian Navy had shown great foresight in nurturing the vision for the NNS Unity and her sister ships, noting that it was comforting that efforts were not confined to using foreign sources alone, but in mobilizing local complements.

No doubt, the Nigerian Navy, with adequate funding and support could grow its capacity, expand its Dockyard with modern tools and do much more.

While we await the arrival of the Floating Dock imported by NIMASA, it is necessary to re-echo  that Nigeria has no Training Ship for Cadets trained at home and abroad.