Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers Debuts in Nigeria

• Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers Debuts in Nigeria

The Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers, ICS, has launched its Nigerian Chapter, assuring that business of ship brokerage would now be carried out professionally.

Speaking at the launching in Lagos, President of the Institute in Nigeria, Capt. Samuel Olanrewaju, said the ICS was an Institute of all commercial shipping professionals which was established over a 100 years ago with headquarters in London.

He said the certificates of the Institute are respected worldwide, adding that Nigeria is the second after Ghana to get the chapter in West Africa. Capt. Olanrewaju said that one of the advantages of having the Institute in Nigeria was to advise both the government and the private sector in the ship acquisition processes.

Olanrewaju said, “In Nigeria today, people are doing all sorts of stupid things with their businesses. For example, people go out there to buy ships that are scraps as new vessels and bring them to Nigeria, they are bypassing the shipbrokers. A lot of those vessels anchored are now turning into wrecks. Whether we like it or not, it is eating into our foreign reserve because an average offshore vessel costs 34 million dollars. So, Nigerians can use this platform to get professionals to do the business for them.”

Similarly, a representative of Executive Secretary of Nigerian Shippers Council, Barr. Hassan Bello, Mrs Enoche Ogenyi, said that examinations of the ICS were now being taken by some members of the Council. He said that in the future, the ICS certificate would be made a criteria for career progression at the Council.

Also speaking at the launch, the representative of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, Dr. Maduka Hope, said that recent changes in NIMASA had brought some Fellows of the ICS into strategic positions in NIMASA. He assured that the agency would support what ICS was doing to empower indigenous operators.

Acting Director General of Chamber of Shipping, Mr. Bukola Lawal, noted that the ICS was an institute that stakeholders have been striving to have in the country but which has now been brought to their door step.

He said,“ICS would give more opportunity to our people to be internationally recognised, we would also partner with you to train our professionals to be internationally recognised.”

Speaking in similar vein, Mr. Chris Ebare, Head of Membership and Media said that the Institute has concluded plans to reach out to as many stakeholders as possible, adding that the Institute has come to stay in Nigeria.