By Stphen Ubanna
Dayo Mobereola, a former Managing Director, Lagos state Water Ways Authority, LASWA, and who incidentally was also a one-time Commissioner of Transportation during the first term in office of Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the incumbent governor of Lagos state and now Director General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, moves to market Nigeria deep sea-bed activities during the 9th , Atlantic Cooperation summit in the North American country of the United states, US .
Determined to take the nation’s maritime industry to another level where it could compete with other maritime countries, the NIMASA, Chief Executive Officer, CEO, was said to assured the international community of the commitment of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Administration ”to a peaceful , stable and prosperous Atlantic region” which should be explored in a sustainable manner for the benefits of all the countries in the Atlantic region.
Mobereola, the NIMASA, CEO, who could not hide his feelings was said to have given the assurance to the participants during his presentation at the partnership for Atlantic Cooperation Summit, a sideline session at the 2024, United Nations, General Assembly, UNGA, in New York, US, in which Nigeria was aid to have been represented by Vice President Kashim Ibrahim. The 2024, UNGA, 79th, session was said to have been chaired by Anthony Blinken, the North American country of the US, Secretary of States.
The Nigerian Vice President, who was said to have represented President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the UNGA, session, was a former governor of Borno, a state, currently under the siege of the Islamic Fundamentalist Group, BokoHaram and the Islamic State of West African Province, ISWAP .
The NIMASA boss, appears to have taken advantage of the opportunity provided by the all-important UNGA, 79th, session, in NewYork, US, and given his international background to engage the US, Secretary of States and other delegates in the Atlantic Cooperation summit.
The NIMASA, Director General , who is out to market Nigeria, may have gladdened the heart of industry operators that ‘’Nigeria’s participation at the Atlantic Cooperation, summit has had a transformative effect on how the Nigerian Government is contributing ”to the shaping of acceptable global policies and agendas for a more , secure , sustainable and prosperous Atlantic region”.
He was said to have alluded to the international Workshop, organized by the agency in Abuja , the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, n Deep Sea-bed activities , where the government was said to have reconfirmed its commitment to develop a legal and regulatory framework for deep-sea mining , driving sustainable economic growth.
He had told the participants who had looked with rapt attentions that Nigeria at present is working closely with some critical partners such as the US, European Union, EU, , Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, and the UN, to protect the country’s coastline and ensure safe passage of ocean going vessels laden with cargoes scheduled for the market, including other goods and people as well as promoting regional economic integration.
He was said to have also engaged the participants at the Atlantic Cooperation sideline event on the county’s unique perspectives on funding, governance, technological advancement, amongst other issues, with an assurance that the present President Tinubu’s Administration is focused on developing a virile marine and blue economy industry.
He may have set the stage for Blinken, the US, Secretary of States who was said to have chaired the Atlantic Cooperation sideline session to respond some of the issues that was said to have been raised by earlier speakers including Mobereola, the Nigerian Maritime Administration’s Director General.
In his thought provoking sppech., Blinken, had said that ‘’the Atlantic ocean is vital to every nation of the world’’ , noting that all countries bordering the ocean including the his country, the US, have direct stake in the joint venture.
Hear him: Together we’re fostering greater connections and coordination between our governments, between our civil societies, our private sectors, our scientific communities and laying the framework to find and share solutions to these joint venture challenges.
The US, Secretary of States, was said to have stated further that member countries are helping one another harness new technologies to address common threats like piracy, sea robbery and kidnapping on the high seas.
Giving an insider information from his privileged point of view, Osagie Edward, an Assistant Director and the maritime regulatory agency spokesperson, had said that since its Launch, the Atlantic Partnership has grown phenomenally to 42 member-nations, representing more than 75% of the Atlantic coastline.
The NIMASA, spokesperson, had said that countries from Europe, North America, South America, Africa and the Caribbean had participated at the session to address shared challenges , promote common solutions and advance collective principles.
Members were said to have endorsed a declaration on Atlantic Cooperation promising engagement on the basis of International Law and political perspective, existing national and international legal frameworks, mutual collaboration and respect for differences in capacity and political perspective and acknowledging the special role and primary interest of the states in in the Atlantic region.
