Akpobolokemi made his position public at the 9th All Nigerian Editors Conference, which took place in the Delta State capital, Asaba, recently. The NIMASA boss, whose paper was presented by the Agency’s Head of Public Relations, Mr Isichei Osamgbi, noted that NIMASA is implementing programmes that would make the maritime sector the mainstay of the Nigerian economy in the near future.
While commending the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) for choosing the theme, “Nigeria beyond oil”, the NIMASA Director-General noted that it would serve as the required catalyst to diversify Nigeria’s income stream. According to him, “it has become imperative for us as a country to immediately grow and exploit our non-oil sectors.
“We must all work together to ensure that all sectors of the economy are given the impetus required to fulfill their potentials and mandate. We urge you to continue to be partners in nation building by supporting the campaign for strong regulatory institutions in all sectors of our economy.”
He noted that the Asian tigers are good examples of the ability of the maritime sector to be a major contributor to a nation’s economy.
“Like the Asians, we have not only tapped into the opportunities in the entire maritime sector, we have also developed some strategic programmes to sustain the development of the Nigerian maritime sector,” he said.
The establishment of the Nigerian Maritime University, and Maritime Institutes in four Nigerian universities, as well as a College of Maritime Studies were some of the measures listed by Akpobolokemi as programmes of NIMASA to ensure that Nigeria’s maritime potentials are fully harnessed.
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