TELL Magazine

The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has received support from the House of Representatives to disburse the $360 million Cabotage Vessel Finance Fund (CVFF) to qualified Nigerian shipowners. A committee of the House, in its report, gave the nod for disbursement, at the end of an investigation which was chaired by Hon. Legor Idagbo.

A release issued by Osagie Edward, Assistant Director, Public Relations, NIMASA, stated that the Committee in its report said it made the following findings: “The Committee requested the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency and the Ministry of Transportation to provide detailed information on the total amount accrued to the Fund and disbursements since inception.”

The Committee had met with the Minister of Transportation and the Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) on Thursday, 11 May 2023 to find out about the details concerning the matter. The House committee gave the authorisation following a thorough analysis of the various submissions, “coupled with the explanations given by the Ministry and NIMASA, the Committee discovered that due process was followed in the planned disbursement of the Cabotage Vessel Finance Fund”.

The Cabotage Vessel Finance Fund (CVFF) was set up in 2003 by the Coastal and Inland Shipping Act. It was established to develop indigenous ship acquisition capacity and to provide financial assistance to indigenous shipping operators.

This development will boost activities in the maritime industry by also increasing the local content there. This is also because it will build capacity amongst indigenous/ Domestic Coastal operators in Nigeria, a development that will change the current situation where the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) still awards contracts to foreign shipping companies in contravention of the Cabotage and Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Acts. Some of these awards have been previously investigated by the Committee, which led to their cancellation.

The statement further states that “It was also discovered that the total funds of $360m in the Cabotage Vessel Finance Fund (CVFF) account with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) represents 50%, while the remaining counterpart funds of 50% is from stakeholders and banks, which is 15% and 35% respectively”.

Bashir Jamoh OFR, Director General of NIMASA, in his reaction, thanked the lawmakers for their interest in verifying the due process being followed by the Agency.

Jamoh who expressed optimism that the NNPCL’s resolve to award maritime contracts to indigenous companies will give strength to the Cabotage regime being championed by the Agency, reaffirmed NIMASA’s transparency resolve in all facets of the Agency’s operation

He also called for more stakeholder support, saying the CVFF will evolve into greater benefit for more Nigerians, grow the per capita income and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Nigeria, through the maritime industry.