Skye Bank Facilitates First International Maritime Expo in Nigeria

Skye Bank Plc, in conjunction with other maritime stakeholders under the aegis of the Nigerian Maritime Expo, will today at Eko Meridian Hotel, Lagos bring together operators in the nation's maritime industry. The forum will brainstorm on how to tackle the various challenges facing the sector and explore its opportunities with the objective of taking the industry to new and greater heights.



President Goodluck Jonathan will declare the expo open and unveil the maritime policy of his administration in addition to interacting with maritime stakeholders at a dinner billed for Tuesday night.



At the first ever Nigerian maritime Expo, maritime financiers, ship owners, ship managers, ship repairers/builders, marine paint, oil and lubricant dealers, marine electronics, navigation equipment manufacturers, insurance, lawyers and marine surveyors will show case their products, services and skills.



Skye Bank Plc is a leading maritime Bank in Nigeria. The Bank has contributed immensely to the development of the sector in the areas of vessel finance, Bonded Terminal operations as well as Clearing and Forwarding Finance. No wonder the Bank won the Maritime Award for “Best Maritime Financier” for 2008 and 2009 consecutively.



A statement issued by the Group Managing Director/CEO Mr Kehinde Durosinmi Etti said it is one of the sponsors of the forum and is highly involved in the organisation of the Expo in addition to working to ensure the exhibition achieve its objectives. The Bank noted that the maritime industry was estimated at over USD6billion and critical to the conduct of trade within the Nigerian coaster waters and international trade.



The statement further said if well developed and harnessed, the maritime industry would provide huge job opportunities to the Nigerian youth.



The maritime Expo is expected to showcase the Nigeria Maritime industry's achievements to the world and its major strides in the continent. The expo will foster strong and sustainable partnership/alliances with foreign investors willing to venture in to the Nigerian Maritime sector and improving the Foreign Direct Investments in the country.



The programme is also expected to present an enabling environment and opportunity for the industry players in accordance with the related government agencies to share their views, showcase the potentials of indigenous and upcoming players in the maritime sector; addressing their needs and advisory on ways to maintain their course in the sector, and get the industry players to harness opportunities together for the common growth of the Maritime sector to compete with their international counterparts.



Expected at the expo are maritime operators, finance houses, maritime lawyers and the others like government agencies in charge of maritime, trade and commerce.