ENABLING ENVIRONMENT FOR DANGOTE REFINERY IS OUR PRIORITY – NIMASA DG.

ENABLING ENVIRONMENT FOR DANGOTE REFINERY IS OUR PRIORITY, NIMASA DG.

…AGENCY, DANGOTE PORT WORK OUT MODALITIES FOR CABOTAGE ADHERENCE.

The Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Bashir Jamoh, OFR, says the agency is committed to ensuring that the business of the Dangote Ports and refineries is not hindered by the implementation of the regulatory instrument under the provisions of the Cabotage Law.

Dr. Jamoh, who made the assertions during a courtesy visit by a delegation from Dangote Port Operations, led by the Managing Director of Dangote Port Operations, Mr. Akin Omole, to NIMASA, said that the agency will work with Dangote Ports to also ensure the group does not breach any regulation of the Federal Government as regards wet cargo affreightment. Both parties agreed to set up a working committee to address the operational concerns at the refinery within 14 days.

“I suggested a joint committee with membership from NIMASA and Dangote to sit down and look at issues objectively. Our priority is to ensure regulatory implementation does not impede the operations of Dangote Ports and, by extension, Dangote Refinery. Though the coming on stream of the Dangote Refinery would lead to a drop in NIMASA revenue because ships importing petroleum products would reduce drastically, thus reducing the 3% freight levy collected by the agency,. However, Nigerian economic growth and long-term benefit to the Nigerian masses are far better than immediate revenue for NIMASA”. He said.

On his part, the Managing Director of Dangote Ports Operations, Mr. Akin Omole, said his team will ensure that the refinery is not in breach of the Cabotage Act.

In his words, “We talked about business being done in a way that there is no obstruction, no delay. “In shipping, a day’s delay is a huge cost. We have an average of over $50,000 demurrage on a ship per day, so we want to be sure that these kinds of delays are not experienced. All bottlenecks and hindrances that will cause the delay will be addressed jointly and collaboratively with our team and the NIMASA team,” he said.

Picture Captions

Pic 1: L-R: Executive Director Operations, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, Engr. Fatai Taye Adeyemi; Managing Director (MD), Dangote Port Operations, Akin Omole; Director General NIMASA, Dr. Bashir Jamoh, OFR; Snr. General Manager, DPRP, Dangote Group, Bukar Abba; and GCSO Dangote Group, Aliyu Suleiman, during a courtesy visit by the MD Dangote Ports Operations to the NIMASA headquarters in Lagos.

Pic 2: Director General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Bashir Jamoh (left), OFR, presents a souvenir to Managing Director, Dangote Port Operations, Akin Omole, during a courtesy visit by the MD to the NIMASA headquarters in Lagos.

Pic 3: R-L: Director General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, Dr. Bashir Jamoh; OFR: Managing Director (MD), Dangote Port Operations, Akin Omole; and Executive Director Operations, NIMASA, Engr. Fatai Taye Adeyemi, during a courtesy visit by the MD Dangote Ports Operations to the NIMASA headquarters in Lagos.