By Stephen Ubanna
For weeks, there have been rumours making the rounds that Clopatra Doumbia-Henry, President, World Maritime University, WMU, based in Malmo , Sweden, which already had a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, with the Bashir Jamoh, led Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, would be visiting the Nigeria.
As part of the WMU, Presidentand team members’ intimacy, they are expected to visit Mohammed Bello-Koko, led and the Nigerian ports Authority, NPA, and its long standing close ally NIMASA, for talks to further enhance their relationship, which had been built over the years.
On Wednesday, November, 8, 2022,Dumbia-Henry, led WMU, delegation, said to have landed at the NPA, Headquarters, Marina, Lagos, to rub minds with the Management Team . Bello-Koko, the NPA, Managing Director may have taken advantage of the WMU, delegation visit, to shower praises on the University, when he revealed that the Authority has been ‘’tapping the knowledge of its employees who are alumni of the University in the implementation of its ongoing efforts at deepening the efficiency in its operations by getting them to cascade skills and competencies gained to the Organisation’s advantage’’.
He had cited ‘’the Ballast Water Management Desk’’ which had been established by the agency headed by an alumnus of the WMU. Bello-Koko, the NPA, Chief Executive Officer, CEO, who could not hide his feelings had commended the WMU, for the support that been accorded the Authority, under the Western and Central Africa Ports’ Security, WeCAPs, project , described as a crucial part of the WMU, antennary , while I Nigeria.
The NPA, CEO, may have taken advantage of the WMU, officials’ visit to leverage on it to harp on improved working relationship between the two Organisations ,’’ in driving talent development’’ .He had alluded to the Authority’s relentless efforts at ‘’improving channel security in the Eastern ports which are achieving results which is evidenced by the increased volume of cargo traffic into the Onne seaport, and vessels call at the Calabar port, meaning that that the two south eastern ports, particular, have benefited immensely, from the insights of the WeCAPS team.
An elated Bello-Koko, the NPA, boss, had said to the hearing of the Dumbia-Henry, the WMU, President and her team members, that the Authority doors ‘’remain open to more ideas and partnership that will enable the agency optimize the strategic national assets’’.
In apparent response to the NPA , helmsman speech, Dumbia-Henry, the WMU, President , who incidentally is the first woman , to occupy the exalted office since the establishment of the WMU, several years ago, was said to have expressed her delight at the number of NPA’s employees who are members of the alumni of the University . She was said to have pledged the Institution’s readiness ‘’to strengthen cooperation and collaboration with the Authority in the future’’.
The WMU, officials, were said to have also visited NIMASA, where , Dumbia-Heenry, the President had commended the agency for its laudable policies of ‘’gender equality which had manifested in both the number of women employed in the Organisation as well as those sponsored for capacity development in the country and abroad, including the WMU’’.
The WMU, President, may have taken advantage of the visit to NIMASA, ‘’to further discuss the training and manpower development of staff, with the Jamoh led NIMASA , Management.She had thanked the Maritime Regulatory , agency, for its long standing relationship with the University, stressing, that that they are in Nigeria ‘’to further strengthen the ties between the two Organisations while exploring areas of future collaboration’’.
She was said to have singled out Jamoh, the NIMASA, Director General, for special appreciation, for ‘’the gender-inclusive nature of the agency, especially under his leadership’’, which was not the case under the past leadership of the agency. ‘’We have observed that in the last two years, a good number of female staff of the agency had been sent to the University for maritime studies’’, she remarked.
An appreciative Jamoh, had explained that the long- standing- standing relationship between the agency and WMU,had bbeen beneficial to the agency, noting that the continued relationship with the wmu, is informed by ‘’the agency’s commitment to professionalism, research and development as well as determination to attain global best practices in carrying out its statutory responsibilities’’.
The NIMASA, Director General, averred that this had informed why the agency had selected the WMU, when sending some of its staff abroad to improve on their skills. He opined that the agency have a deliberate policy of training which is in line with the International Maritime Organisation, IMO, to encourage more female participation in the nation’s mmaritime sector.
He was emphatic that ‘’the agency ‘s commitment to capacity development of its staff, both males and females staff, remain ‘’unwavering’’.He is optimistic, that the capacity development programme of the agency would in turn, have a knock –on effect on the country’s maritime industry that would go a long way ‘’to improve their level of professionalism and skills’’.
