The Nigerian Ports Consultative Council, (NPCC) has called on the University management to embrace the opportunity in the maritime sector and seek to enhance its growth and Development through a formidable partnership.
The call was made on Wednesday by the NPCC Chairman, Otunba Kunle Folarin, during the donation of books to the University of Lagos.
He said that Lagos, being a coastal state, contributes about 60%–70% of the economy of West Africa although lack of qualified manpower in legal, multimodal transportation, shipping, port management and development sectors was a critical concern that needs urgent intervention.
Otunba Folarin noted that about 80%–85% of goods that enter Nigeria come through the seaports, with the Apapa and Tin Can Island ports providing the corridors and infrastructure for the majority of the sea bound traffic.
He therefore argued that the University of Lagos, being the academic and intellectual conscience of the nation, should do more to enhance the nation’s sea trade.
The Vice Chancellor, Professor Oluwatoyin T. Ogundipe, acknowledged the need for the University to contribute its quota to build the maritime economy and highlighted several partnerships with other institutions, such as the collaboration with the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) in setting up an Information Technology (IT) hub at the Akoka campus of the university, to nurture both native and expatriate talents and IT professionals.
He thanked Otunba Folarin and his team for their willingness to build collaborations between the university and maritime industry operators through well-articulated CSR policies and academic programmes.
Thereafter, there was a presentation of the book written by Dr. Edmund M. Chilaka, an outcome of his 2015 doctoral dissertation, titled The Rise, Fall and Liquidation of Africa’s Pioneer Carriers – Nigeria National Shipping Line and Black Star Line, as well as a paper delivered by the NPCC Chairman at a maritime forum in the university.
