By Stephen Ubanna
Bashir Jamoh, Director General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, appears to have taken advantage of the visit of Kitack Lim, the South Korean born Secretary General of the International Maritime Organisation, IMO, to Nigeria at the instance of Eng. Muanzu Jaji Sambo, minister of Transportation to Commission the N17 billion 15 floors, new Headquarters in Lagos, the nation’s Commercial nerve centre.
As a prelude to the Commissioning of the 15 floor Kanti Towers, renamed NIMASA, Towers, the building was said to have been inspected o n Saturday, November 19, 2022 byAdemola Adegoroye, the minister of state , Transportation, accompanied by Jamoh, NIMASA, Director General and other ministry officials including some top Management Staff of the agency . The 15 floor building was said to have been acquired by NIMASA, for a sum N17 billion to serve as its new office complex.
Note that the Kanti Towers, renamed NIMASA Towers, is a 600 square metre property at Victoria Island was a joint venture between the Lagos State Development and Property ompany, LSPDC, and Senkay Nigeria Limited, and primarily funded by by Skyye Bank Nigeria, now Polaris Bank Limited. Informed source told The Value News that the building had been put on sale by the developers following its completion in 2014, as a result of the failure to secure tenants.
In commissioning the NIMASA, new office complex, on Wednesday, November, 23, 2022, the IMO, Secretary General had expressed the Confidence of the United Nations, UN, maritime Agency, in the Leadership of Eng.Sambo, the minister of Transportation. He has extoled his dynamic role and cordial working relationship with heads of the various agencies under the ministry.
While applauding the initiative of Jamoh and his Management Team to acquire the new modern office complex, he IMO Secretary General, however, stated that ‘’the more important thing is the human competency and capability in the Maritime Regulatory agency, but insisting that ‘’Leadership remains the most paramount’’, which had been exhibited by the minister of Transportation. Lim, who could not hide his feelings had said that he is ‘’looking forward to more prosperous opportunities and development of maritime activities of Nigeria in future’’.
In apparent response to the glowing tribute paid to him as an ‘’extraordinary and rare Leader’’, the minister had ‘’expressed gratitude to the IMO, administrative helmsman, for making out time to visit Nigria and also having a first –hand opinion on the developmental process in the nation’s maritime sector’’.
The minister may have gladdened the IMO, Secretary General heart when he stated that ‘’Nigeria will strive to ensure that its maritime activities are in line with best practices , while also embracing new technologies in the frontier of global maritime discourse to achieve zero carbon emission for shipping by 2050.
Also speaking at the Commissioning of the NIMASA Towers, Lynda Ipkeazu, the House of Representatives Committee Chairman on Maritime Safety, Education and Administration, had commended Jamoh, the NIMASA, Chief Executive Officer, CEO, and his Management Team, for having the foresight to acquire the multi-billion naira office Complex. She would want the agency to aim higher as there are still room for improvement in the agency.
The NIMASA, CEO, may have taken advantage of Lim, the IMO, Secretary General visit to the country, to assure him that his name ‘’will ever remain graven in gold as long as NIMASA is concerned’’. He had intimated him of the various projects that had been embarked upon by the agency in the 2022, Fiscal year, all with ‘’the aim of ensuring a robust and conducive maritime environment is attained in Nigeria’’.
Osagie Edward, an Assistant Director, and the agency spokesperson had said that he had made the IMO, Secretary General to understand that ‘’the execution of the projects had been made possible with support of the industry stakeholders across board’’.
In spite of the fact that the NIMASA, Towrs had been Commissioned, it is not yet clear, whether, the agency will relocate to the new property from the Apapa office which, is currently been modernized to international standard. Unconfirmed reports said the agency may likely occupy some floors and rent out the remaining to other tenants. Whichever way, industry operators are waiting to see what NIMASA, Management, will do with the 15 floor building..
