The President of the Barge Operators Association of Nigeria (BOAN), Mr. Olabunmi Olumekun, has said that the group mobilised 4 million 20-foot equivalent containers from imports and exports from 2019 to 2024.
Olumekun told journalists in Lagos that the association had no fewer than 82 companies with about 2,000 barges and tugboats operating at the Nigerian waterways.
“We have recorded tremendous progress since then. We have mobilised around four TEUs from both imports, exports, and other cargo entries.
“The association consists of companies, not individuals. We have no fewer than 82 companies in the association, with about 2,000 barges and tugboats operating on the water. Each barge employs at least 13 crew members, contributing significantly to job creation,” the Punch newspaper report on Thursday quoted Olumekun as saying.
According to the report, Olumekun called for the review of some of the policies of the Nigerian government as these policies pose serious challenges to their operations.
He explained that the group formed an association as a way of regulating their members to ensure safety on the waterways.
“The association consists of companies, not individuals. We have no fewer than 82 companies in the association, with about 2,000 barges and tugboats operating on the water. Each barge employs at least 13 crew members, contributing significantly to job creation,” he said.
The association president disclosed that most accidents involving barges were caused by the operators, who were not members of the association, people who entered the business without proper knowledge or understanding.
“We have a lot of quacks in the industry who do not know the industry. They just feel that the barge business brings money, they just jump into business without consulting, without knowing the roots of that business,” he said.
GIK/APA