Stakeholders in the oil and gas and shipping industry are seeking collaboration and partnership that will enable Nigeria to lead the shipping industry across Africa even as NLNG Shipping and Marine Services Limited (NSML) and Temile Development Company Limited have entered a new agreement.
While the African Development Bank (AfDB) estimated the value of Africa’s maritime sector at $25 billion with a projection of reaching between $50 and $80 billion by 2030, Nigeria’s share of the yearly freight cost is estimated at $10 billion.
Experts from the Nigerian LNG, Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), as well as Temile Development Company Limited, said the industry could do better if collaboration and partnership are maintained to drive local capacity.
Speaking at a Vessel Management Agreement (VMA) in Abuja, which will see the LPG Alfred Temile 10, 23,000 cubic metres liquefied petroleum gas vessel owned by Temile Development Company Limited, managed by NSML, Executive Secretary of NCDMB, Felix Ogbe said Nigeria has the technical expertise to take advantage of the shipping industry not only within the West African block but across the continent.
According to him, Nigeria has the capacity and manpower but needs cooperation and teamwork to drive growth.
“We need to come together and create a teamwork that will unlock opportunities for all,” Ogbe said.
Executive Vice President, Gas, Power and New Energy of the NNPC LTD, Olalekan Ogunleye, said NSML could become a dominant marine services provider in Africa in addition to the stride that has been seen in the West African bloc.
Ogunleye, who was represented by the Chief Investment Officer, NNPC Gas and Power Investment Services, Dr Salihu Jamari, said NSML would be supported to operate across the region, adding there is a need for support in terms of manpower development, vessel management and all other marine services.”
The Chief Executive Officer of Temile Development Company Limited, Alfred Temile, said the company did not initially see how it would turn out but demonstrated sufficient can-do spirit, which paid off.
“There are many more to come. We are at the final stage of taking FID on another LPG tanker. There are a lot of investment decisions we are taking in terms of deepening our participation in the gas sector”, Temile said.
The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of NSML, Abdukadir Ahmed, said the significant partnership underscores a shared dedication to excellence, safety and innovation within the maritime industry. He said though there were challenges on the path to developing the vessel, the new vessel sets a higher standard for LPG transportation in Nigeria and the broader West African region.
