In the bid to make the maritime sector more competitive, Dakuku Peterside, Director General of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) on Wednesday unveiled plans to reposition the agency.
Some of the initiatives to be adopted include 48-hour registration of ships, Cabotage regime reform and accelerated certification programme within a short time, digital strategy transformation of all IT software platforms.
Others include efficiency in engineering, improving research and rescue programme regime reform and accelerated certification programme within a short time, as well as enhanced safety and rescue programme.
Peterside stated this in Abuja, during the 2016 budget defence held at the instance of the House Committee on Maritime Services, chaired by Mohammed Umar.
He said, “One of the components is resurveying and component transformation programme where emphasis would be placed on coastal, port and safety of NIMASA.
“We have also a digital strategy transformation programme where we bring all IT software and platforms under a single platform.
“We are also going to look at efficiency engineering so that quality services can be delivered in a timely manner. Looking at an enhanced safety and rescue programme as well as consumer-centric stakeholder engagement programme where clients and customers will be at the centre of maritime safety activities.”
He also reiterated the readiness of the agency to embark on reform of Cabotage vessel regime with a view to getting maximum benefits of the Coastal and Inland Act passed by the National Assembly.
To achieve this, he emphasised the need to remove all bottlenecks that stop Nigeria from maximising the benefits of the Cabotage Act.
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