By Stephen Ubanna
More facts have emerged why Nigeria’s maritime sector has become the fastest growing sector in the African Continent over the years. This is because past and present Chief Executive officers , CEOs of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, and CEOs, and other agencies in the nation’s maritime sector, including the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, under the close watch of Mohammed Bello-Koko has embraced collaboration and peer review exercises with other Maritime Administrations, MARADs on the African Continent and globally.
That much was confirmed by Bashir Jamoh, OFR, the NIMASA, Director General, at an interactive session with the Senate Committee on Marine Transport under the Chairmanship of Wasiu Sanni Eshinlokun Lagos, the nation’s Commercial nerve centre. An elated Jamoh, had said that with the determination and commitment of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, towards the development of the country’s marine and blue economy, shows that ‘’better days are ahead in the country’’ and that the current economic difficulty would surely come to pass’’.
Until the creation of the ministry of marine and blue Economy which has Adegboyega Oyetola, the immediate past governor of Osun state as the minister, by the Lagos state born Nigerian President, who had said that he is a product of insults, Jamoh had repeatedly said that Nigeria’s vast under-utilised blue economy offers huge opportunities for growth and development, noting that that it will help the country to overcome its economic challenges.
The Kaduna state born technocrat, who had lamented the failure of past Nigerian’s government to explore the vast resources the blue economy offers had said that it could be used ‘’to knock off the country’s huge debt profile which over the years had dragged the country’s development effort backward and creates poverty in the midst of plenty. He had alluded to the ocean resources like fishes, shrimps, and sea foods which are awaiting to be harnessed.
He was said to have also alluded to ship repairs which are done in neighbouring West African countries of Benin Republic, Ghana and the European country of Turkey which have the facilities that are lacking in Nigeria. Oyetola, a former governor of Osun state governor, had said that the economy is estimated globally to be more than $1.5 trillion annually and Nigeria, being a maritime nation cannot afford not to benefit from it.
The minister is emphatic that considering the size of the country’s blue economy, ‘’Nigeria should be a significant player in the sector to contribute to the country’s annual revenue generation and also provide jobs to the teeming unemployed youths.
This may have informed why he had promised on assumption of duties last August to come up with practicable ways of ensuring that the inland rivers, Creeks, Lakes and water ways are fully utilised for cargo shipment and passenger transportation.
He had corroborated the NIMASA boss claims that’’ the Nigerian oceans are more than two-thirds of the planet’s surface, and thus holds the key to the country’s sustainable economic growth, environmental conservation and technological innovation’’. He may have emboldened the CECOs of the implementing agencies of government in the nation’s maritime sector when he declared that his vision for the newly established ministry of marine and blue economy which has the mandate of coordinating the activities and operations in the nation’s marine sector ‘’is rooted in the responsible management and utilisation of the marine resources to benefit the economy’’.
The NIMASA boss may have made the members of the Senate Committee on Marine Transport during the interactive session to understand that ‘’the creation of the ministry of marine and blue economy by the incumbent Nigerian President was borne out of the enormous opportunities that are in the nation’s marine blue economy and the desire to harness them’’.
Jamoh, may have taken advantage of the interactive session with the Lawmakers to open up on why the maritime agencies under the newly established ministry of marine and blue economy ‘’regularly undertake peer review exercises, amongst maritime Administrations not just on the African Continent but globally’’.
Hear him: We have learnt a lot from the peer reviews, with the South African Maritime Administration, SAMSA, and Maritime Port Authority, MPA, of the Asian country of Singapore. He had said that that the agency has provided mentorship for marine administrations for countries like Gambia, Sierra Leone and Ghana I the West African sub-region and other countries in the African Continent on various issues such as Port and Flag State Administration and the Suppression of Piracy and other Maritime Offences, SPOMO, Act, signed by Buhari, the former Katsina state born Nigerian President in June 2019.
Emmanuel Duja Effedua, a Naval Commodore, rtd, and Rector, Maritime Academy Oron, MAN, Akwa Ibom state, in his presentation during the interactive session with members of the Senate Committee on Marine Transport, had acknowledged the role NIMASA, under the Leadership of Jamoh, over the last three years had played in transforming the Nigerian maritime institution to be one of the best in the world.
There is no gain saying the fact that with the support of NIMASA, MAN, at present could be said to be one of the maritime Academies in the world that are equipped with the state -of -the art maritime equipment in training seafarers comparable to other maritime nations that have maritime institutions including Egypt, South Korea, India, China, Sweden, and the North American country of the United States, US to name but a few.
The MAN Rector had alluded to NIMASA commitment of funding of the Academy, describing it as ‘’an enormous achievement’’ at a time when other government agencies are crying of paucity of funds within their areas of operations.
Senator Eshinlokun, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Marine Transport in his remarks during the interactive session with the CEOs of the implementing government agencies under the Oyetola controlled ministry of marine and blue economy had said that’’ it is to ensure the Lawmakers and the implementing agencies of government in the country’s maritime sector are on the same page and to ensure that Nigerians enjoy the benefits accruable from the much -talked blue economy.
The Senate Committee Chairman on marine transport, had said that the interactive session was part of their ‘’oversight functions, to receive briefings from the CEOs of the parastatals under the ministry of marine and blue economy about their operations and how to come to assist in drawing government attention to their problems which needed to be solved.
`
