As part of the initiative to reposition the maritime sector for greater efficiency in line with international best practices, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) would release the empirical forecast that would determine the outlook of the industry in Nigeria by the first quarter of 2018.

The Director General of NIMASA, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, who disclosed this in Lagos recently, further stated that the Nigeria forecast would deal with how developments on the international scene would affect the industry in Nigeria, which would also serve as a guide for investors and stakeholders in the maritime sector.

Peterside noted that the forecast would be released from a wholistic perspective in order to know areas of advantage that would be of immense benefit to stakeholders and industry players, both locally and internationally.

In his words: “On the positive side, it will look at where the opportunities will be in the year 2018 and 2019. Will greater investment in oil and gas translate to more demand for offshore support vessels? What are the industry perspectives? What government and her agencies should do to attract more investment in the industry amongst other salient issues?”

The NIMASA DG said that the maritime industry forecast would also look at whether there would be improvement in maritime security, especially in the Niger Delta and what impact it would have on shipping.

Other areas the forecast would focus on included the expected impact of NIMASA’s partnership with the Nigerian Content Development Monitoring Board (NCDMB) on Cabotage implementation and international shipping, the various projected impact of shift to digital shipping in Nigeria, and its attendant effect on Nigerian shippers.

Peterside also noted that the maritime forecast to be released by NIMASA would look at the impact of global emphasis on Blue Economy and how Nigerians could benefit from it.

In the area of capacity building, the DG pointed out that the effect on the industry would be considered as two new specialised universities; Nigerian Maritime University, Okerenkoko, and the Admiralty University are expected to begin academic calendar next year, in addition to an already re-positioned Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron.

Other areas of focus in the forecast included the government's decision on investment status in port and maritime infrastructure, and the impact of emphasis on reduction on environmental footprint arising from shipping.

From the regulatory perspective, it would also consider the impact of the coming into force of the Ballast Water Management Convention, and the International Maritime Dangerous Goods mandatory compliance, among other conventions and regulations.

On the market side, Peterside posited that the forecast would analyse how demand and supply would evolve in the industry. “This report will be the most informative documentation on the future of the maritime industry in Nigeria.”

The 2018 Nigerian maritime industry forecast is a set of predictions based on the study of trends and patterns and it is intended to serve as a guide for investors and stakeholders in the industry.