By Stephen Ubanna
More facts have emerged why the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety agency under the present Management led by Bashir Jamoh, is committed to capacity building. This is informed by the agency desire to develop a world class maritime and to encourage research to enable the nation’s maritime sector reach its full potential. Jamoh,the maritime Regulatory agency Director General may have hit the nail on the head when he said its commitment to the nation’s maritime capacity development programme was basically ‘’to bridge the skill gaps in the sector’’.
As a prelude to ensuring that the agency ‘s capacity building programme was carried out to its logical conclusion, it had upgraded the Maritime Academy Oron, located in the south-south state of Akwa Ibom, and entered into a working agreement with many tertiary Institutions both within and outside the country for training of Seafarers and maritime sector personnel.
One of the Orgnisations that the agency had sealed a deal was the Nigerian Army School of Public Relations and Information , NASPIRI, which has A.A. Yusuf, an Army Colonel a the Commandant. The deal was said to have been sealed in 2021, which had informed why the Maritime Regulatory last November sent 50 persons, comprising of maritime Journalists and Public Relations Officers in the nation’s maritime sector on a one day Workshop, which participants had described as very rewarding because of the exposure.
The agency may not have stopped on the deal with NASPIRI as it has continued to reach out to Organisations and training Institutions to enhance its Capacity building efforts. This may have informed why it has renewed its Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, with the World Maritime University,WMU, Malmo, Sweden in 2018, to continue from where it had stopped.
Recall thatDakuku Peterside, the then Director General of NIMASA had said that the MoU with the WMU, would go a long way to help the agency ‘’realise its strategic plans to reposition Nigerian’s maritime sector’’ and turn it into the leading maritime Administration in the African Continent.
It is not surprising why an elated Jamoh had said shortly after the signing of the MoU virtually that ‘’there is no substitute to education’’. The NIMASA Director General had said that ‘’the Collaboration with the WMU would advance the nation’s maritime interest while addressing the changing needs of the industry based on sustainable capacity development, education, training and capacity building in order to play a leading role in developing shipping in any nation’’.
He may have gladdened the heart of Nigerians when he broke the cheery news that the agency has reached the advanced stage in setting up a Regional Maritime Safety and Security Research Centre to enhance research works. He may have vigorously pursued the development of the Regional maritime Safety and Security centre because he had set maritime Safety, maritime security, and shipping development as his priority programme on assumption of office on March 10, 2020.
According to him, he Rgional Maritime Safety and Security centre, will take care of capacity development in 25 African countries: Nigeria, Benin Republic, Angola, Cameroon, CoteIvoire, Democratic Rpublic of Congo, Zaire, Guiea, Equatorial Guine, Guinea-Bissau, Gabon, Ghana, Togo, SaoTome and Principe, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Burkina Faso, Senegal Gambia, to name but a few.
The NIMASA Chief Excutive Officer, CEO, had said that graduates from the WMU, who are currently in the employ of th aency will ‘’serve a researchrs and resource persons, sharing knowledge and hopefully develop a researched based sustainable frame to provide solution to issues of security in the Gulf of Guinea.
Cleopatra Doumbia-Henry, President of the WMU, who has been playing a leading role in developing capacity for the maritime industry in the Gulf of Guinea region, according to informed industry stakeholders has continued to so without relenting.
The WMU President had commended Nigerian students who have passed through the Institution and thus welcomed the agreement, stressing that that NIMASA, is one of the first supporters of the Sweden based maritime University commitment to the United Nations, UN, Sustainable Development Goals, sdgs.
Hear him: Nigeria leads others follow. Given Jamoh led NIMASA supports to the WMU, may have encouraged Dumbi-Henry, the President, to announce that the university is ‘’delighted to be associated with the agency and its work which extends beyond national boundaries and have significant effect on the Gulf of Guinea region.
He may have alluded to the deployment of the $195 million maritime security assets procured by the Nigerian government for the Deep Blue project comprising of 16 armoured vehicles for coastal patrol, 17 Fast Interceptor boats, Tw Special Mission Airrcrafts, Two Special Mission vessels, Three Special Mission helicopters and four unmanned Aerial vehicles I Nigerian waters and the Gulf of Guinea, which had forced many of the Pirates and kidnappers out of business.
Describing it as a ‘’successful and warm relationship’’, between NIMASA and WMU, he stated that ‘’ it is a perfect example of international Cooperation and Sustainable growth’’. I look forward to a fruitful outcome of our Collaborative efforts as articulated in the MoU, and based on the principles of equity, reciprocity and mutual benefit, he further remarked.
Edward Osagie, an Assistant Director, in the agency Public Relations Department had said that the MoU, provides for maritime education, training, research and capacity building for staff of NIMASA with at least ten officials funded annually by the agency to study at the Sweden based WMU to be awarded MSc in Maritime affairs on Completion of their programme.
The NIMASA spokesperson further disclosed that under the agreement, the agency will sponsor at least one staff per year to study in the WMU/IMLI MPhil programme in International Maritime Law and Ocean policy.
He further disclosed that the agreement between NIMASA and the WMU, provides for the Mamo maritime University ‘’to develop and organize short-term, specialized Executive Proffessional Development Course, EPDCs, for the agency staff.
