[size=14pt]The Federal Government has placed a ban on vessels purchased abroad without input from local ship builders in Nigeria.[/size]

Executive Secretary, Nigerian Content Development Monitoring Board, NCDMB, Ernest Nwapa, at the weekend said such vessels would not be allowed to operate in the country from January 2015. This policy, according to him, is aimed at developing local capacity in line with the local content initiative of the Federal Government.

Nwapa, stated this at the load-out celebration of the Domestic Supply Obligation (DSP) Meren Gas Gathering Compression Platform (GGCP) and Sonam Non-Associated Gas Well-head Platform projects fabricated at the Snake Island, Lagos. This new law, Nwapa said, becomes necessary in light of the fact that a number of Nigerian companies have developed the capacity to manufacture high quality vessels that meet international standards.

He said, “From January 2015, companies seeking to buy marine vessels that will work in the Nigerian territory must submit the Nigerian Content plan of the purchase, so that we determine which part of the vessels would be manufactured in Nigeria. “Any company that fails to abide by this new rule, when the vessel is purchased will not be allowed to work in Nigeria.”

Nwapa however called for increased patronage of local companies by the international oil companies in the execution of their major projects. He said Nigerdock has demonstrated the ability of Nigerians to provide facilities and skilled manpower required for the execution and delivery of major projects.

http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/business/188741-nigeria-bans-importation-of-vessels-without-local-content

Sign of a serious government. We could be a major ship building power in 5-7 years as a result of this step.

seriously speaking, GEJs admin is the most ambitious in Nigerias history

Apart from nigerdocks their are more than 5 shipbuilders in nigeria who are yet to be exploited to the full.