D8 seeks joint maritime ventures with Nigeria

D8 seeks joint maritime ventures with Nigeria

The Group of Eight Developing Countries (D8) has asked its members to enter Joint Venture Agreements (JVA) with Nigeria and other members within its fold that are desirous of developing their maritime sectors.

At the end of its second Expert Working Group (EWG) meeting in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, members were also mandated to establish “maritime joint commissions for collaborative ventures.”

A statement issued at the end of the D8 meeting said the group held that the establishment of Automated Maritime Data Access (AMDA) was expected to facilitate the promotion of collaboration between member countries towards empowering their people.

The resolutions

It said further: “Member countries should undertake in earnest to implement the resolutions of the first EWG meeting, including capacity-building measures, e.g. TOTAR (Train the Trainers and Researchers) and other technical training programmes in the maritime sector.”

The D8 statement also directed each member country to establish proper mechanisms for effective follow-up of the decisions made with respect to establishing benchmarks and timelines.

But the D8 secretariat said it had taken notice of what it called ‘the near-absence of the private sector participation from the member countries’ in the Abuja meeting. It stressed the imperative of the activation of their participation in future deliberations.

it added that “The above situation should be urgently redressed towards the realisation of the common objectives of facilitating private sector networking for sustainable maritime development among the D-8 member countries with a view to realizing the sector’s huge potential in promoting actual cooperation among the member countries for mutual benefits.”

Nigeria’s position

When the conference opened on Monday, Nigeria lamented that one year after giving consent on economic cooperation needs identified by Nigeria, member countries had been foot-dragging on taking necessary action expected to bring about heightened trade.

The Under- Secretary for Regions and International Organisations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Akin Fayomi, on behalf of Nigeria’s D8 Commissioner told the D8 Permanent Secretary, Martin Uhomoibhi that: “For instance, the interests expressed by Nigeria for partnership especially in the Maritime Joint Venture (MJV), Train the Trainers and Researchers (TOTAR) programme, and the establishment of Automated Maritime Data Access (AMDA), have not been keyed into by any D-8 member countries.”

Present at the EWG were the D8 secretariat delegation, Nigerian ministers, envoys from member states as well as the team from the Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA).

In this regard, NIMASA Director-General, Ziakede Patrick Akpobolokemi, noted that Nigeria expressed optimism that collaborative engagements between member states to meet the target of raising the group’s share of global trade from 15 to 20 per cent by 2018 would be fast-tracked.

NP/Adekusibe/Ekata