How Chinese, Lebanese, Indians dominate our economy

Despite the security challenge the country is facing, Nigerian security agents, especially those working at the maritime and the aviation sectors, where cargo are processed, may have not really come to terms that sensitive areas of the ports, “entering and exit”, should be the exclusive preserve of Nigerian citizens, like it is done in other countries.

Two years ago, a container laden with explosives and dangerous weapons were intercepted by the Nigerian Customs. Only God knows what would have happened if those weapons brought in by some foreigners were not intercepted by the NCS.

But still, the shipping industry and business of cargo clearing today in Nigeria is said to be dominated by the Lebanese, Indians, Chinese and South Africans, to the extent that they enter, at will, places like Customs Processing Centre (CPC) that Nigerians cannot access even in Cotonou.

Many years after the approval of the Coastal and Inland Shipping Cabotage Act 2003 and the passage of the Nigerian Content Act, 2010, both of which were designed to stimulate indigenous participation in the shipping industry and the oil and gas sector, what we see is the dominance of business activities in the key areas by foreigners.

Statistics made available by the Nigerian Shipowners Association (NISA) confirmed that foreigners control more than 95 percent of the over 3,000 vessels operating in our coastal and inland waterways. This negates the Federal Government’s policy of growing and promoting the local industry.

At various fora, shippers have criticized the insensitivity of government and called for immediate action, lest foreigners continue to dominate the sector ten years after the cabotage law came on stream. What this means is that the Federal Government should beam its search light at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) which has been fingered as frustrating Nigerian ship owners.

The National President, Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Alhaji Olayiwola Shittu, blamed the take-over of cargo clearing business in Nigeria by foreigners on the inability of those in authority to enact laws that would help indigenous operators to excel in their businesses. He cautioned that something has to be done, otherwise Nigerians would be completely thrown out of business.

He explained that some highly placed Nigerians who know nothing about the ports are responsible for not having the laws to empower local operators.

One is not saying foreigners should not do business in Nigeria. The issue is that they should not have access to sensitive areas in the ports to avoid security breach.

Beyond security risk which the foreign cargo operators pose, “entering and going out”, the Federal Government, in the spirit of change, should rise up to address this lapse to forestall attacks, especially at this time the world is battling terrorism.

*Okereafor lives in Lagos