NIMASA Moves to Enforce Compliance with International Standards

NIMASA Moves to Enforce Compliance with International Standards

Eromosele Abiodun

The Director-General of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dakuku Peterside has said the industry stakeholders’ awards, which was introduced last year, was aimed at encouraging maritime operators in the country to continue to comply with international regulatory instrument to sustain standards at global level.

Peterside, stated this in Lagos during a ceremony to inaugurate an independent panel of judges for the NIMASA Industry 2019 Maritime Stakeholders Awards, headed by a former Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Adebayo Sarumi.
He also pointed out that the awards were set up to celebrate success stories in the sector, and encourage stakeholders to strive for excellence towards growing the nation’s economy through the maritime sector.

He noted that, “the awards are to honour industry players who comply with extant rules and regulations and encourage others in the area of regulatory compliance. The awards will also inspire, encourage and instil global best practice in the Nigerian maritime space.”

Peterside said the agency’s management decided to engage an independent panel of judges in order to instil confidence in the selection process for the awards. He described the members of the independent panel of judges as persons of proven integrity and distinguished careers in their various disciplines.

In his speech, Sarumi commended the agency for institutionalising the industry recognitions. He said service recognition by a regulatory agency, such as NIMASA, was a noble idea.

“I continue to marvel at the amount of innovativeness your management puts into the maritime industry. You have pushed our industry to higher gear, not just to the next level, but much higher levels than you met it.

“The fact that NIMASA as a regulatory Agency recognising the efforts of stakeholders is quite commendable. The approach will encourage a better relationship between the regulator and the industry,” he stated

The terms of reference of the committee include: to identify the various categories of awards for the industry; invite applications from industry stakeholders and the general public for various categories of the award; set criteria and benchmark for the selection process; and finalise the list of awardees in the different categories for submission to the Agency.

Sarumi leads the nine-member committee comprising former Managing Director of NPA, Omar Suleiman; Admiral Niyi Oshinowo (rtd.), Chairman, Nigerian Ship owners Forum, Mrs. Margaret Orakwusi, a journalist, Mr. Francis Ugwoke; Director, Maritime Labour Services, NIMASA, Ibrahim Jibril; Head, Shipping Development, NIMASA, Mr. Anthony Ogadi; and Head, Cabotage, NIMASA, Mr. Victor Egejuru.

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