Ship owners want foreigners disengaged from lifting of crude

The Nigeria Ship Owners Association (NISA), yesterday, urged the Federal Government to ensure that only Nigerians lift the country’s crude oil.

The General Secretary of NISA, Capt Niyi Labinjo, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that adopting this measure would lead to creation of employment, generation of revenue and improvement in the nation’s security.

NAN recalls that the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke, said in Abuja on April 25 that indigenous ship owners lift about 60 per cent of Nigeria crude.

Alison-Madueke said that over 60 per cent of the 2014 /2015 annual term contracts for the lifting of Nigeria’s crude had been awarded to local firms.

She noted that as at the last count, indigenous investments in the sector had created over 40, 000 jobs across the hydrocarbon value chain.

Labinjo said that it was more profitable for a Nigerian ship to lift crude because the country was losing a lot by using foreign vessels.

“We will gain about N968 million a day if we use our own indigenous ships to lift crude oil.

“This is because Nigeria carries about 2.5 million barrel of crude a day at the rate of two dollars 50 cent per barrel.

“This huge sum would have accrued to Nigeria and create the room to employ at least 5,000 professionals in the sector.

“The advantage is that indigenous ships will get their water, food, tug boat, chandelling, engineers and rags from Nigeria.

“There are many qualified Nigerians in these fields but they go about without jobs.

“Using foreign vessels is not in the best interest of the nation because when the dependant country has crisis Nigeria may have challenges lifting its crude,’’ he said.