TheCable

Rotimi Amaechi, minister of transportation, says the federal government is marshalling out ways of encouraging the establishment of a national shipping line.

Delivering a keynote address at the 14th maritime seminar for judges, the minister said the current administration is interested in improving the maritime sector, especially in the areas of establishing a deep sea port for modern mega ships.

“The present administration is looking into ways of encouraging the establishment of a national shipping line to ensure maximum exploitation of the potentials in our maritime sector,” he said.

“The federal government is doing a lot towards improving on the ease of doing business in Nigeria especially in the maritime sector.”

“The federal government effort towards trade facilitation includes modernisation of transport infrastructure such as establishment of deep sea ports to attract the patronage of our seaports by modern mega ships and the establishment of dry ports such as the Kaduna inland dry port and others all over the country to decongest the seaports and facilitate expeditious evacuation of cargo from the seaports among others.”

While also suggesting that maritime laws should be made compulsory courses in tertiary institutions, Amaechi called on the chief judge of the federal high court to consider the creation of a maritime or admiralty division in the court.

“May I remind you of the need for capacity building in the maritime industry.It is of general knowledge that most of our maritime trade is carried by foreign ship owners, thereby limiting the economic benefits accruable to the nation such as creation of jobs, freight and insurance earnings,” he said.

Amaechi added that the maritime seminar would equip the judges and justices of superior courts of record as well as relevant stakeholders in the maritime industry.

In his address, Mahmud Mohammed, chief justice of Nigeria and chairman board of governors of the National Judicial Institute, said the seminar had contributed immensely to deepening the synergy between the judiciary and the maritime sector.

“The Nigerian judiciary stands ready to deepen this synergy as part of our wider reform efforts that will reposition our judiciary for better justice delivery and retain our place as one of the best judicial institutions in the world,” he said.

“In furtherance of its drive to ensure a quick dispensation of justice, the Nigerian judiciary remains similarly committed to the use of a multi-track, multi-modal justice delivery system that will include a more robust adoption of alternative dispute resolutions  as a veritable medium of settling dispute.

“It is important for us to ensure that this seminar continues to provide a platform for introducing new concepts and refreshing our minds on novel areas of law that govern shipping international trade and admiralty matters.”