22 July 2013, Lagos – Partnership among African countries will help them to maximise the huge potentials in the maritime and energy sectors of their economies, the Federal Government has said.
It said a synergy among the countries in the continent especially in the area of maritime and energy would ensure the sustainable development of the countries in the continent.
Senior Special Assistant to President Goodluck Jonathan on Maritime Services, Mr. Olugbenga Leke Oyewole, said this at the weekend at the 3rd Africa Shipping and Oil Roundtable/Investment Forum in Cape Town, South Africa.
Delivering at a paper titled “Harnessing Opportunities in the Maritime Industry to boost Infrastructural Development in Africa”, the presidential aide told participants at the forum which attracted participants from across the African continent to create a forum where they can collaboratively highlight specific opportunities and sustainably evaluate same with a view to distilling their positive impacts for the development of their maritime and energy sectors.
Dwelling on the theme of the three-days-forum with the theme, “Global Partnership for the Sustainability of Infrastructural Development of the Maritime and Energy Sectors in Africa”, Oyewole said co-operation among African nations will avail them knowledge of maritime management strategies that they can effectively monitor and efficiently administer the two sectors described as “critical” to the sustainable development and growth of the economies of the African continent.
Oyewole, who was one of the guest speakers at the occasion enjoined the maritime administrators in Africa to maximally utilise their nations’ membership of international organizations and explore privatization options for services that may be better rendered by private investors and companies.
Besides knowledge sharing sessions and ideas on how Africa nations can shore up their maritime and energy sectors to efficient level, the 3rd Africa Shipping and Oil Roundtable/Investment Forum organised by Africa Business and Logistics Support Services, ABLSS, also had other paper presentations by other key players in the shipping and energy sector of the African continent.
While the Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, Mr. Patrick Akpobolokemi, presented a paper titled “Boosting Rapid Infrastructural Development for the Effective Implementation of Cabotage Regime in Africa; Managing Director of Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, Alhaji Habib Abdullahi; presented a paper on Providing Essential Infrastructure and Workable Strategies to Overcome the Challenges of Ports Quick Turnaround of Time in Africa; the Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Ghana Shippers Authority, GSA, Mr. Emmanuel Martey, presented a paper on Protection Surveillance, Security of Coastal Waters in Africa; and the Chief Executive Officer, South African Maritime Safety Authority, SAMSA, Commander Tseitsi Mokhele, represented by SAMSA’s Chief Operations Officer, Mr. Sobantu Tilayi, made a presentation on “How to meet Infrastructural needs of the Maritime Transport in Africa for Greater Investment Opportunities”.
The high point of the forum was the presentation of the African Maritime and Energy, AME, 2013 awards to 12 awardees across the African continent.
These includes AME Marine Logistics Support Services Provider of the Year in Africa, Starzs Investment Company Limited; AME Shipyard/Dry docking Companny of the Year in Africa, South African Shipyard; AME Maritime Agency in Infrastructure Development of the Year in Africa, South African Maritime Authority, SAMSA; AME Maritime Agency in Skills Development of the Year in Africa, NIMASA; and AME Ports and Logistics Regulator of the Year in Africa, NPA.
Others are AME Customs Broker Association of the Year in Africa, Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents, ANLCA; AME Vessel Construction and Repair Organisation of the Year in Africa, Nigerian Naval Dockyard; AME Maritime Agency in Trade Facilitation of the Year in Africa, Ghana Shippers Authority; AME Port Administrator of the Year in Africa, Director General, Ghana Ports Authority, GPHA, Director General, Mr. Richard Anamoo; and AME Cargo Transhipment Market of the Year in Africa, Luanda Ports Authority, Angola.
The forum was attended by key players in the maritime and energy sectors of the economy across the African continent.
John Iwori, This Day
