By Abimbola Ologun
The Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency has declared hope for Nigerian youth after stating that at least 10,000 jobs will be created following an offshore waste management agreement signed with a private firm, XPO Marine Services Limited.
Kabiru Diso the agency’s Deputy Director, Public Private Partnership unit, while speaking during the flag off of the offshore waste reception facility for the Eastern Zone Operations of NIMASA, said it was difficult for decades to take care of the waste beyond 10 nautical miles of the country’s shorelines.
In his remarks “today is a very remarkable day, not remarkable because we have inaugurated the implementing stage of this contract but for having an opportunity for Nigeria as a country to be able to discharge its functions under IMO obligation through PPP arrangement.”
“Under this arrangement, a lot of income will come to the Federal Government; a lot of youth employment will come with this project. If we have this kind of project two, three in the country, I’m sure within the shortest possible time we will move from where we are to be among the first maritime nations.”
He noted that the concession arrangement was for 10 years. “Every collection they make, 60 percent is going to the concessionaire, 20 percent is going to the Federal Government of Nigeria and 20 percent is going to NIMASA. And it is performance based. It is when they do the job certification they will get paid.”
The Chief Executive Officer of XPO Marine Services Limited, Welligton Agharese, on his part pointed that the firm would be moving from one platform to the other to collect oil and solid waste to preserve the aquatic environment, and take care of waste for ultimate disposal.
Agharese said “The time you take the multiplier employment implication you are talking of something more than 10,000 both direct and indirect employment.”
