Fiki Marine Partners Egypt Giza Shipyard to Build Super Yachts, Boats in Nigeria
Fiki Marine Partners Egypt Giza Shipyard to Build
Super Yachts, Boats in Nigeria
Sunday Okobi
The Chairman of Fiki Marine, Taofiki L Balogun, who
disclosed this exclusively to THISDAY recently at the pre -signing of
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with his Egyptian partner in Lagos, said it
is a landmark achievement to have such project in Nigeria, “because it is
unfair to our economy that most of the boats used in Nigeria are brought in
from Dubai, United Arab Emirate. I want to build super standard boats in
Nigeria to meet the international standard.”
He added that rather than import boats from abroad,
“we have decided to get some manpower and materials here for the project as a way
of creating employment and improving on our technological development in
Nigeria.”
Among other service provided Fiki Marine, Balogun
said they are also into the sales of boats brought in from abroad, adding that:
“We do ferry services mainly for picnics to different beaches, and Nigerians
are really enjoying the services, which is good for our socio-economic sector.”
In order to raise the standard and the quality of
the boats built in Nigeria, which he described as substandard, Fiki Marine boss
has promised to take the Nigeria marine transport sector to a greater height by
bringing in experts from African countries in boat building business without
losing sight in Nigerian local content policies.
“I think the immediate past Governor of Lagos State
has paved the way to enable us to start manufacturing our boats here in
Nigeria. I have been in the boat business for over 30 years. My late father was
the first person to have motorised boat, so I believe that with the way we are
going, we are going to have a head way, create jobs for our teeming youths and
consequently contribute to the economy.
“Also, we have decided to focus in Africa, because
we will have a better control as to who we are going to employ, as we have worked
with many Nigerians who were former militants. With this boat building project
in the pipe line, they will have gainful employment. While some are doing
apprentice, they will be paid, some of them could not even fend for themselves.
I don’t like a situation where they have to go back to their families to feed
them, after they have struggled through school. Therefore from the onset, they
will be paid. I have a lot of Nigerians working for me,” he explained.
Speaking in his personal capacity as the Giza
Shipyard Vice President, and on the company’s behalf to THISDAY, Shady Azmy
ElBadrawy, who was elated over his futuristic contributions to the marine
transport system in Nigeria, said the yacht building project, when commenced,
would boost Nigerian economy as well as curb youth restiveness, as virile and tech
savvy youths would be seriously involved in the project.
“I’m in Nigeria to build floating Yacht and passenger
boat. This project will affect the Nigeria economy positively and promote a
ship building industry in Nigeria.Also, we train Nigeria people so that they
can work in this company. I’m going to
import building materials from abroad till I reach a good source here. If the
business grows bigger, the material for a small factory for steel and aluminum for
made-in-Nigeria would be source here, not imported. This is going to affect our youths positively
as well,” ElBadrawy, a Marine Engineer stated.
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