NIMASA: We Will Ensure Nigerians Benefit from Shipping

Eromosele Abiodun

The Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dakuku Peterside has stated that the agency will ensure that Nigerians benefit optimally from shipping. It also pledged its commitment to ensuring that the maritime domain is safe, secured and clean for all to do business.

Peterside, who made the remarks shortly after receiving the TELL Award of Excellence for the 2016 Public Organisation of the year 2016 in Lagos, noted that the award will challenge the agency to continue in its quest to improving on the ease of doing business in the Nigerian maritime domain even as he assured investors in the Nigerian maritime sector of the safety of their investments.
Speaking further, he vowed that the agency would leave no stone unturned in curbing piracy activities in the Gulf of Guinea.

According to him, “We are working every day to put things right. The Maritime Security Architecture which the Federal Government of Nigeria is putting in place is to significantly curb sea robbery and piracy on our waterways. We also have the Anti-Piracy Bill, which will go a long way in aiding our fight against all maritime crimes when its passed into law”

While thanking the organisers and Nigerians for finding NIMASA worthy of the award, Peterside dedicated the award to the board, management staff of the agency, and all stakeholders for their support in discharging its core mandates.
“NIMASA has attained full automation of all operational processes and the Agency has been restructured to semi-autonomous zonal operations so that functions such as issuance of Sailing Certificates, payment of bills and other operational procedures decentralised which has enhanced the federal government’s ease of doing business initiative to attract foreign direct investment into Nigeria.

“The present management at NIMASA has intensified the agency’s drive to ensure strict compliance of the International Ships and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code ISPS Code. The recently approved Maritime Security Architecture and Infrastructure to be jointly coordinated by NIMASA, the Ministry of Transportation and the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) is seen as one major reason Nigerian voted the agency as the Public Organisation of the year,” he added.

Other recipients of the awards include, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu who emerged winner in the National Icon of Democracy category, Governor Ben Ayade of Cross Rivers State as the Governor of the year, Nigeria’s First Lady, Mrs. Aisha Buhari as the Woman of the year, and late Dele Giwa as the all-time “national icon of freedom of speech”, amongst others.

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