Mrs Carol Aneto, Head of Shipping, the Nigeria Maritime Administration (NIMASA), South West Zonal Office, said the agency will confidently support produce export through its intervention programme called cargo initiative.
Aneto told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Monday that the agency had partnered with the Nigeria Export Promotion bank for the project.
Aneto, who doubles as a member of the Inter Ministerial Committee on Non Oil Export, said due to the capital intensive nature of shipping, that the agency has to intervene to encourage exporters.
According to her, the committee was made up of members drawn from the Nigeria Shippers Council, Nigeria Export Promotion Commission and NIMASA.
“NIMASA apart from providing security on the waters is piloting an initiative aimed at bolstering the economy through produce export.
“Shipping is about export and import of goods and services the prevalent of import variant of the international trade is worrisome and should be changed.
“With the support of other agencies in the committee Nigeria will soon change from an import dependent to an export hub thereby creating the much needed job for youth,’’ Aneto said.
“The agency is doing the much it could in support of the Federal Government policy on economy diversification from oil; there is the need to encourage indigenous shipping, which is the objective of the imitative,’’ Aneto said.
She said the government at all levels need to key into the initiative as priority.
