Expert lauds Dangote’s planned vessels for West, Central Africa
Expert lauds Dangote’s planned vessels for West, Central Africa
A maritime expert, Alhaji Idris Yahaya, has commended the planned acquisition of vessels by Dangote Industries to transport goods to markets across West and Central Africa.
Yahaya, President of the Badagry Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (BACCIMA), said the move would help decongest Nigerian ports, reduce transportation costs and generate more revenue for the Federal Government.
He made this known in an interview with the Voice Media Trust (VMT NEWS) in Lagos on Sunday.
VMT NEWS reports that on Aug. 26, Dangote Industries announced plans to acquire its own vessels to facilitate the movement of its products from Nigeria to markets across West and Central Africa.
Sada Ladan-Baki, Head of International Trade and Export at Dangote Cement, said the decision was driven by the difficulty of securing adequate shipping capacity.
Yahaya described the move as long overdue, saying Dangote had the capacity to own and operate vessels, particularly as the owner of Greenview Development Nigeria Ltd. (GDNL), one of the terminals at Apapa Port.
He said the Federal Government would benefit significantly from the vessels operating along the West and Central African coasts.
“This will lead to trade facilitation and decongest the ports in some areas.
“Apart from cement, there are vessels with capacity to carry 20,000 metric tonnes, 30,000 metric tonnes, 35,000 metric tonnes and 38,000 metric tonnes of goods.
“If Dangote’s consignment is not enough, he can carry other containers to other West African countries where it is going.
“Some MSMEs in Nigeria and other traders that transport their goods by road to Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Togo and other countries can easily turn to the port and take delivery of their goods quickly,” he said.
The BACCIMA president said the development would also increase revenue from port operations, as vessels would be subject to inspection and payment of applicable duties and charges.
He said the vessels would be inspected by the Nigeria Customs Service and other relevant agencies, with the appropriate duties and charges paid to the government.
Yahaya added that the initiative could help reduce smuggling through Nigeria’s land borders by providing traders with a faster and more efficient alternative for transporting goods.
“Again, don’t forget that we have NIMASA, which is in charge of vessels – licensing, inspection and a whole lot of other things.
“So all the taxes and charges that are supposed to be paid will be paid to the Federal Government, including registration certificates and flying the Nigerian flag.
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“The Nigerian Ports Authority will use its tugboats to bring the vessel from the high sea or breakwater to the port, and they will charge for the service too,” he said.
Yahaya also said transporting goods by sea would reduce delivery time and the cost associated with using trucks for cross-border trade.
“Let me tell you something about these trucks passing through the border. It’s not an easy task.
“Imagine a truck taking off from Lagos to Ghana and spending five to eight days before getting there. They are exposed to so many road hazards.
“You can’t blame them because they have to go through border procedures, operations and documentation.
“Then look at the cost of maintaining four motor boys or drivers per vehicle and the cost of buying fuel.
“The roads are bad. That is another thing as far as Nigerian roads are concerned, whether anybody likes it or not.
“Some of these vehicles get damaged on the road, while some have accidents. If they have accidents in a foreign country, they also face the insurance requirements of that country,” he said.
On concerns about possible job losses among truck drivers, Yahaya said the drivers could be deployed to different routes within Nigeria.
He added that the development would not necessarily affect their jobs.
