Newly appointed Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Dr. Bashir Jamoh, has expressed the commitment of his management team to growing the ideal of the blue economy for the benefit of the country.
Jamoh, who made the pledge in Lagos on Tuesday shortly after taking over from the immediate past Director-General of the agency, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, also promised to engage more deeply industry with stakeholders to create policies that would drive the maritime sector forward.
He said, “Today marks a turning point in the history and existence of NIMASA. It is my pleasure to welcome you all to NIMASA as I take the mantle of leadership of this great and strategic agency, as its 6th Director General.
“I am confident that with your continuous support and the calibre of persons in the incoming Executive Management and Board, the agency will achieve the ideals that informed its establishment in line with global best practices.
“As you already know, NIMASA has the core mandate of promoting and regulating shipping in the country.
Concomitant with this mandate is the responsibility of ensuring safety of the Nigerian maritime domain for ease of maritime transportation, which is one of the critical catalysts for economic development.
“It is in realisation of this, and in pursuit of the next level agenda of the President Mohammadu Buhari administration that I urge you all to join hands with us to build an enduring and prosperous maritime sector.
“On this note, I will like to thank my predecessor, Dr. Dakuku Peterside and indeed the outgoing Board of the agency for their resilience, team spirit and vision to make NIMASA a leading maritime light on the African continent.
“I must acknowledge the great strides we have made in the area of maritime safety and security, particularly with the Deep Blue project and ensuring the enactment of the anti-piracy law.
“Since government is a continuum, we shall hit the ground running immediately. We shall study our handover notes diligently to ensure continuity of leadership for the maritime sector. I can assure you that we will consolidate on these efforts and take them further, as we continue to pursue the ideals of a viable blue economy for our country.”
Jamoh also thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for finding him worthy of the appointment to serve with a promise not to let the industry down.
Former Director General, Peterside said, “The new DG is a man that is focused, resourceful and knowledgeable about the industry. While we worked together, we laboured together as a team and whatever success recorded cannot be recorded in context of history without the contribution of this gentleman.”
Also present at the handover ceremony were members of the newly appointed governing board of NIMASA with Okorie Asita as Chairman.
The newly appointed Executive Directors of the agency are Chudi Offodile (Finance and Administration), Shehu Ahmed (Operations); and Victor Onyekachi Ochei (Cabotage and Maritime Labour).
Other board members are Adekola Adefemi, Muhammadu Abubakar and Hassan Maqmud.