The Chairman, Ports Consultative Council (PCC) Chief Kunle Folarin, on Friday said that 60,000 jobs could be created through trans-shipment in Nigerian ports.
In an interview in Lagos, Folarin said that cargo coming to Nigeria might not necessarily be meant for the country but could be for other landlocked nations which decided to use Nigerian ports.
“We (Nigeria) provide the corridors to most of the landlocked countries and we provide the coastline.
“ We can easily provide the shipping, the storage, the trans-shipment, and Nigeria will gain.
“From trans-shipment activity, we can provide employment for 60,000 Nigerians as truck drivers,’’ he said.
He said that Nigeria only needed to be sensitive in using its natural opportunities profitably to grow and sustain the economy.
Folarin disclosed that Philippines made the maritime sector its huge revenue earner through provision of seafarers to the world.
“We can still be relevant within the maritime sector even if we do not own ships. Philippines give seafarers to the world.
“They don’t have oil and gas; they don’t have strong shipping companies but they have over 400 maritime schools which train seafarers for the world.
“Nigeria can do with trans-shipment what Philippines were able to achieve through manpower provision for the maritime industry,’’ he said.
