Nigerian Shipowners, Minister seal collaboration deal, target ship repair centre
Nigeria’s premium maritime group, the Shipowners Association of Nigeria (SOAN) led by its President, Dr. Mkgeorge Onyung has paid a high-value visit to the Honourable Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva.
Business Hilights gathered that discussions during the visit centered on the need to synergize on building an ecosystem around shipbuilding that can align with global standards while embracing local content guidelines.
In his speech, SOAN President, Dr. Onyung revealed that the Association is keen on floating a Ship Repair Centre in Nigeria under a PPP Arrangement while currently exploring ways to cement a proposed consortium. He explained that the partnership, would among other things, scale individual company efforts in providing cargo lifting service.
Corroborating Dr. Onyung, the First Vice President of the maritime group, Mr. Eno Williams noted that in covering the broad spectrum of its core objectives, SOAN is deeply focused on working towards fostering and revamping the ecosystem that it operates in.
Responding, the elated Minister encouraged SOAN to open a communication channel that will ensure seamless synergy and foster collaborations, stressing that deep collaborations will offer the opportunity to look beyond the current operational challenges of the players in the business to deliver solutions that will work towards closing all gaps.
Chief Sylva noted that the utility of the collaboration will further cement the priority agenda to work assiduously to support President Muhammadu Buhari in his poise to achieving his target of raising millions of Nigerians out of poverty via job creation.
A statement issued by the GGM/SA Media to the Minister, Garba Deen Muhammad revealed that the visiting team comprised of its President Dr. Mkgeorge O. Onyung; First Vice President of the Association, Mr. Eno J. Williams; Chairman, Technical Committee, Dr. Lucky Akhiwu, Founding Member, Dr. Emi Member-Otaji and erstwhile member, Gbenga Sokefun.
