The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has said that 37.5 per cent of vessels operating in the Nigerian Oil and Gas industry are owned by Nigerians.

The Executive Secretary of NCDMB, Mr Simbi Wabote, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Lagos that the development was a marked improvement on what was obtained in 2010.

He said that over 90 per cent of the expenditure of maritime segment of the oil and gas industry was lost to foreign economies in 2010.

He attributed this to the preponderance of foreign-owned vessels.

According to him, the 2016 3rd quarter Vessel Categorisation Report indicates that 2,258 vessels currently operate in Nigerian oil and gas industry and 235 of them were built in the country.

He said that 848 of the vessels were Nigerian-owned, representing 37.56 per cent.

Wabote said that many indigenous ship owners were motivated by these policies to construct quite new vessels, judging from growth of indigenous- owned marine vessel s in the oil and gas industry since2010.

The executive secretary said the Board had set a target to place at least 60 per cent of marine assets operations in the hands of Nigerians by 2015.

Wabote said that the Board also conceived Marine Vessel Strategy in 2011 to encourage the construction and dry docking of vessels in Nigerian yards and to promote ownership of marine vessels by Nigerian entities.

He said that the Board had also stimulated flagging and registration of vessels in Nigeria, deepened Nigerian manning of marine vessels and maximised the use of Nigerians.

“The Board has also deepened Nigeria manning of marine vessels and maximised the use of Nigerian service providers for legal, insurance, catering, inspection and certification for transaction and utilisation of vessels.

“The Board has also deployed marine Vessel Categorisation programme as the key tool of the strategy, using indices as ownership of site of construction among others,” NAN quotes the executive secretary as saying.

He said that the implication had ensured that “vessels owned by Nigerians and built in Nigeria get priority opportunity for engagement by industry operators.”

Wabote, however, said that reports were issued periodically and they formed the basis for pre-qualification of marine service vendors in the industry. (NAN)

•Photo shows a cargo vessel.

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