By Diana Omueza

The Nigeria Shippers Council (NSC) says it is partnering with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) to educate Nigerians on shipping activities and investments opportunities, thus promoting the shipping industry.

Mr Pius Akutah, the Executive Secretary of the Council, said this on Tuesday in Abuja when he paid a courtesy visit to the Managing-Director of the agency, Mr Ali Muhammed Ali.

Akutah said that it was pertinent to establish a relationship with the agency to bridge the gap between the industry and Nigerians by way of disseminating information.

“I am quite delighted to be here this morning on this courtesy visit.

“Over the years, the NSC has been a friend of the media and has developed so many partnerships with media organisations across board.

“NAN is one of the most important news media organisations that cover activities of government in this country.

“Recently, the Managing Director of NAN extended a hand of fellowship to work with us in order to promote the activities of the council as well as the activities of the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy.

“This relationship is very crucial to us and that is the reason why we are here today, we want to inform him that we have looked at the offer,” he said.

Akutah said that partnership between both organisations was to mainstream activities of government, and economic policies that are driving the marine and blue economy.

According to him, the marine economy, which was long embedded under the Ministry of Transportation, now yields dividend to the government, which should be publicised.

He said that the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy had begun to set structures that would promote corporate governance.

He commended the minister, Mr Adegboyega Oyetola, for bringing together all misplaced agencies that rightly belonged to the ministry, like the Department of Fisheries.

“This has now made the sector more professional, unlike what it used to be without structure and a governing ministry,” he said.

Akutah said that with the establishment of the ministry and the effective operations of its agencies, Nigeria was fast diversifying and moving from being dependent on oil revenue.

“We are diversifying and now beginning to have multiple sources of revenue that will be able to adequately fund our activities as a nation and build our economy.

“We need Nigerians to know what is happening in the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, the agencies under that ministry and the structures being built.

“We have a national policy on Marine and Blue Economy, the first of its kind in this country passed by the Federal Executive Council.

“We need Nigerians to know what is happening in the sector, and the big chances of investments in the marine economy which is a multi-dollar global economy,” he said

Akutah said that there were a lot of infrastructures that had been built that needed to be promoted for neighbouring countries that are close and landlocked to utilise.

He said that all these could only be achieved through the media, hence the need for partnership to inform Nigerians and foreign investors on the endless possibilities of investing and making profit within record time.

In his response, Mr Ali Muhammad Ali, the Managing-Director NAN, commended the NSC boss for his passion and dedication towards transforming the council and the shipping industry.

Ali said that the request for partnership was a demonstration of trust at the institutional level, and the demonstration of friendship between the Nigerian Shippers Council and NAN.

“Like you pointed out, the NAN, just like Nigerian shippers’ council, was actually established by a decree way back in 1976.

“Just like the marine and blue economy was extracted from Ministry of Transport, since that development, you can see that Nigerian marine and blue economy has taken a life of its own.

“This partnership will be mutually beneficial because NAN is the biggest news content provider on the continent of Africa,” he said.

Ali said that NAN had partnerships with global brands like Reuters, the Russian News Agency, among others.

“You cannot have a better media partner. No one knows Nigeria better than the News Agency of Nigeria.

“You talk to NAN, you talk to all. Others come to us for news, because they do not have the personnel and the workforce that we have.

“We have over 500 newsmen, all of them scattered in the nook and cranny and beyond the shores of Nigeria, and right now, we have offices in New York, in South Africa, Johannesburg and in Cote d’Ivoire,” he said.

He said that the partnership between NAN, the NCS and all other operators in the marine and blue economy would be very strategic. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Kadiri Abdulrahman