By Fidelis David
Ondo State Governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, has commended the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), saying it is a creative example for organisations and individuals in the country.
Akeredolu said this yesterday in Akure during the delivery of items donated by NIMASA in aid of the indigent in the state.
Akeredolu, represented by his Deputy, Hon. Lucky Aiyedatiwa, praised the relationship between the state and NIMASA and said Ondo State and the maritime regulatory agency shared a common vision of sustainable development of the marine environment for the good of all and sundry.
“We have been engaging with each other and it has been yielding results,” Aiyedatiwa stated.
He noted that Ondo State, with the longest coastline in Nigeria, had a lot to gain from a close working relationship with NIMASA, saying this would help in harnessing the rich maritime potential of the state.
The governor also emphasised that the maritime security assets being deployed by NIMASA would go a long way in attracting investors to the country’s maritime environment.
Akeredolu appealed to NIMASA, as a maritime safety agency, to help in efforts to put off an oilfield fire in the southern part of the state, which he said had raged for about one and a half years, with consequent disruption to lives and livelihoods in the area.
Speaking, Director General of NIMASA, Dr. Bashir Jamoh, weighed in on the need for organisations and privileged individuals to show concern and empathy towards the less-privileged.
Jamoh, who was represented by the Director, Maritime Safety and Seafarers Standard in the Agency, Mr. Olu Aladenusi, said the current CSR activity was part of a nationwide exercise that had taken the Agency to the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
He said: “We are trying to make our own fair contribution to addressing societal challenges. We are also trying to raise awareness about the dire conditions of less privileged citizens, and draw society’s attention – at the governmental, organisational, and individual levels – to the need to constantly lend the needy a helping hand.
“As a federal government agency, NIMASA has the whole country as its prime constituency, and we are committed to a better life for all Nigerians.
“We have brought items to help the poor and support the weak. There are also economic empowerment materials meant to enhance the capacity of citizens to earn income, support their families, and contribute to society.”
The DG said the value of assistance to the less privileged was not so much the amount of goods provided as the spirit behind the effort.
“The goal is to identify with citizens’ challenges and offer inspiration,” stated.
Jamoh described Ondo State as critical in the work of the Agency.
“That is why we have come to identify with you. And that is why the agency has created some key engagement platforms, including the NIMASA Maritime Stakeholders Experience Contact Centre (MSECC) and NIMASA-Littoral States Support Project, which are initiatives to enhance stakeholders’ communication,” he stated.
The DG added, “The ultimate aim is the sustainable growth of the country’s maritime industry.“NIMASA recognises that connection with the people is crucial in all aspects of development. Thus, the Agency works with communities and government at different levels to execute interventions that help to empower people, build capacity, and improve the lives of poor and vulnerable groups. We are happy and proud to be a contributor to the social welfare provisions of citizens.”
He also emphasised the need for collaboration with the state government in the development of the country’s Blue Economy potential.
He said: “Blue economy is at the heart of the federal government’s economic diversification drive. And Ondo State is blessed with abundant aquatic resources, which we can be harnessed to make life more meaningful for the citizens. Let us continue to work together to create the conducive environment for profitable utilisation of our maritime domain.”
The items donated by the Agency included foodstuff, sewing machines, and grinding machines.
