The Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr Dayo Mobereola, has reaffirmed that investment in human capacity development remains a key pillar of the agency’s vision to build a resilient maritime sector capable of meeting evolving global demands.
Mobereola made the assertion during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between NIMASA and the International Training Centre of the International Labour Organisation (ITC-ILO) in Turin, Italy. The agreement is designed to enhance NIMASA’s institutional capacity through targeted technical assistance, specialised training and capacity-building initiatives for agency personnel and key stakeholders across Nigeria’s maritime industry.
Represented by NIMASA’s Executive Director of Finance and Administration, Chudi Offodile, the Director-General said the partnership aligns with the agency’s strategic commitment to structured capacity-building programmes for maritime professionals.
“This partnership responds directly to that objective and further reinforces the agency’s commitment to structured and targeted capacity development. It also enables us to leverage the ITC-ILO’s expertise and global pedigree to strengthen the training of maritime labour inspectors, policymakers and trainers in the interpretation and implementation of the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006, as amended,” he said.
Highlighting the significance of the collaboration to the growth of Nigeria’s maritime sector, Mobereola stressed that the agency remains focused on ensuring that the knowledge, systems and partnerships developed through the initiative deliver tangible improvements in maritime labour administration.
“We remain committed to ensuring that the knowledge, systems and partnerships developed through this engagement translate into measurable improvements in maritime labour administration and support a sector that is globally respected, professionally driven, safe and firmly anchored on the principles of decent work,” he added.
Speaking at the event, Director of the ITC-ILO, Christopher Perrin, welcomed the partnership and assured NIMASA of the centre’s full support in advancing Nigeria’s drive for sustainable human capital development. He pledged that the institution would deploy its expertise, faculty and resources to ensure the success of the initiative.
The MoU is the culmination of a series of strategic engagements and consultations between both organisations. NIMASA’s Executive Director of Maritime Labour and Cabotage Services, Jibril Abba, and ITC-ILO’s Head of Training, Giuseppe Zefola, served as focal persons for the collaboration, while ILO Regional Adviser and Technical Expert, Amos Kuje, provided technical guidance throughout the process.