There are many things your mobile phone can do that you are barely aware of. When you have a smartphone in your hand, it is not just a phone in quote, but a technological compilation that can go to any extent you want it as long as you know how to ignite its functions.

It’s amazing that some people will purchase smartphones that worth hundreds of dollars and even thousands of dollars, and they only use them to make and receive calls. That phone is not just for call; if you need a phone designed for calls then you better go get a feature phone..

It’s understandable that most old people, even the educated ones don’t know how to operate a smartphone. I was dazzled when a senior friend, a professor of law, asked me to help him install a WhatsApp and teach him how to use it and other apps on his smartphone. Maybe, there should be an adult education for people on how to make use of everyday technology.  Many adults are technologically illiterate including the educated ones and the elites.

The most functional and popular buttons in a phone are the call dial and receive call buttons especially to the old people. For the young people, the phone is just for calls, take pictures, record videos and chats. Some only care about the clarity of the camera so as to serve their purpose. Some care just about the space capacity of the phone, so it could accommodate all their files.

I am not ignorant of the fact that most people purchase phones for customized purposes and that’s why they insist on the particular feature or specification of the phone; hence use it mostly for that purpose.

Some amateur photographers who can’t afford a digital camera use phones to start up their crafts. Some YouTubers and video makers also insist on the camera quality of a phone before getting, and some digital marketers who use phones as their toll also insist on the camera quality and storage capacity.

The purpose of this article is not to criticize your technological illiteracy but to expose things your smartphone can do that you are not aware of. Other than the basic things individuals use their  smartphones to do, there are other things which are possible. The basic things individuals do with their phones are;

• ~placing and receiving calls.
• ~sending and receiving text messages .
• ~sending and receiving emails .
• ~reading mails.
• ~surfing the internet.
• ~Checking Facebook and other popular social media apps.
• ~Taking pictures and making videos .
• ~Checking time with the phone
• ~Making use if the phone’s calculator

Some other things your smart phones could do for you include;

• ~Checking the weather: Of course your smartphone could be your weather reporter. Just as you tune in your radio or television set for weather reports, your phone could save you the stress and predict the weather for you on daily bases
• ~Your phone can be your alarm.
• ~Your phone can also be your stopwatch.
• ~You can use your phone as your world clock.There are apps on Google Play store or Apple Store that are world clock apps and they work with your smart phones. So, you can be in Nigeria and know what time is it in China or the United States so you can schedule your international meetings or whatever reasons.
• ~You can use your phone to hide your location or switch your location to another location for security reasons if you suspect you are been trailed. You can be tracked through phone and you can stop being tracked through your phone by hiding your location or changing your phone location to another location.
• ~You phone can be your dairy for your daily events and Todo list.
• ~ You can use your phone to read news and receive latest news updates.
• ~ You can use your phone for directions through the Google Maps.
• ~ You can use your phone as your mobile bank. Banks and other financial institutions have apps that work perfectly well with your mobile phone (be it an Android phone or an iPhone) that you can use to transact and save you the stress of going to the banking halls.
• ~You can use your phone to shop online and what you bought will be delivered at your doorstep without you living the comfort of your home.
• ~ You can use your phone to type as there are Microsoft Word apps that are suitable with your mobile phone.
• ~You can use your phone to arrange and prepare for your presentation as there are phone PowerPoint apps.
• ~ You can use your phone to store and duplicate important files.
• ~You can use your phone to edit pictures and videos.

There are other things you can use your phone to do especially if it’s a smartphone; the author only highlighted some of them.

Regardless of topping the chart on Port State Control inspections carried out in West and Central African Countries, 2018 by Abuja MoU, with a total of 636 inspections as a maritime institution of authority, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, can only boast of 2 ship flag inspections within the same period as against the total of 350 ship flag inspections amounting to 174% difference carried out by Liberia in the corresponding year.

Apparently, this report portrays NIMASA as an energetic workforce in fight against substandard vessels which operates in the country’s seaport, kudos to this current administration on that aspect. But on the other hand, the report equally reveals the need to facilitate the accessibility of the Capital Vessel Financing Fund, CVFF, in order to encourage the indigenous shipowners come on board.

The CVFF fund is government funding assistance for ship acquisition under the Cabotage Ship Fund established under the Coastal and Inland Shipping (Cabotage Act. 8) in 2017, by the Federal Government of Nigeria through the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, with concluded plans to disburse $100 million Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund, CVFF, to indigenous shipowners at a single digit interest.

However, the deplorable situation has generated worries and hot debates on the gloomy mysteries preventing the disbursement of the fund as well as whether NIMASA fully understand the importance of having indigenous ship owners, which according to maritime experts, is the only way to compete favorably with foreign investors.

The level of worries registered on the faces of potential indigenous investors can be seen through their comments on the need for the acceleration in disbursement of CVFF fund to enhance their participation in the maritime business.

Former Chairman, Indigenous Shipowners Association of Nigeria, ISAN, Chief Isaac Jolapamo, hinted on the need for democratization and localization of the maritime industry which is a panacea to the meted frustration being experienced by intended ship owners who have been striving to invest in the shipping business as he rightly put that some of the prospective ship owners are not where they were supposed to be because they were denied the cargo..

On the issue of discrimination and favoritism against the indigenous ship owners, he also pointed out that foreigners have advantage over Nigerians in their own country which according to him is regretful and discouraging especially when the government officials who indulge in such atrocities are still holding public offices without blemish. He said: “I have an instance of one of us here who was taking out of NNPC system when he was handling a shipment for them for $350,000 but it was handed over to foreigners for $550,000 and the people who are doing this are still making waves, they are getting promoted in the government circle.”

In his paper presentation, tagged “Innovative Concepts and Sustainable Approaches to Effective Ship and Maritime Infrastructure Financing in Nigeria: A Critical Review”, Professor Fabian, a director of Kenner Partners, stated that Nigeria’s maritime industry is still at its infantile stages in terms of funding and must source funds in other ways aside from the federal government.

I quite agree with him because the financial burden of the federal government is becoming unbearable especially on the issue of petroleum subsidy and the need to offset the debts already incurred by the current administration, especially as the debt profile according to Debt Management Office (DMO), has reached N24.4 trillion.

Prof. Ajogwu however, advised NIMASA to be transparent in disbursing the CVFF loan and bring in other innovative ideas to facilitate the local vessel ownership.  

However, from the information gathered, NIMASA said to have remitted US$124 million for the Capital Vessel Financing Fund (CVFF), into the Treasury Single Account (TSA), in the last capital year of 2018, which is in the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), but could not be accessed due to some logical reasons as defended by the Director General, NIMASA, Dakuku Peterside.

According to Dakuku, the funds cannot be disbursed as directed by the then Honorable Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi, due to some issues generated in the past concerning similar funds which must be clarified.

He said: “the Honorable Minister of Transport, who has the final authority to approve the disbursement of CVFF, I’ve been engaging with him, his desires will still come to CVFF, he doesn’t want the way of similar funds was disbursed in the past. And so, he has ordered a quick review of the guidelines, as soon as the fund was reviewed with the guidelines, we will commence the process of disbursing the CVFF.

The trudging face of the Ministry of Transport can be clearly seen as the Ministerial appointments are still without portfolios hence the gloomy face of handling the issue if the former Minister is not reinstated. On this premise, however, I must say that there is essentiality for NIMASA to go back to their drawing board and re-strategize.

Therefore, the need to call for foreign investors is now, to enable national individuals who wish to navigate their business acumen towards shipping industry, to be given a level playing ground as leverage, by establishing a relationship between them and other promising private financial institutions duly regulated by the country’s maritime authority.