The House of Representatives Committee on Maritime Safety, Education and Administration has lauded the budget implementation status of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) despite the coronavirus pandemic.
Chairman of the committee, Lynda Ikpeazu, gave the commendation in Lagos during an oversight visit by members of the committer to NIMASA.
Ikpeazu said NIMASA Director-General, Bashir Jamoh, has developed a clear roadmap for taking the agency to greater heights.
“The Director-General has laid a good foundation for the committee and the committee is here to monitor the activities of the agency for 2020 and see how it has performed so far and further legislative assistance that can be brought to bear in order to generate more revenue for the government.
“The DG of NIMASA is doing his best to ensure that he repositions the agency to make sure the agency delivers on its core mandates.
We will make sure we give the DG all the necessary support he needs because we have seen him moving towards the right direction and, most especially, he has made it clear to us that he wants to address insecurity in the Gulf of Guinea.
“The issue of security goes a long way to affect revenue generation in the maritime sector,” she said.
Ikpeazu disclosed that the Coastal and Inland Shipping Act Amendment Bill had gone through the first reading in the House of Representatives.
She said the proposed amendment will reflect contemporary issues that would be beneficial to indigenous ship owners in the country.
“A more responsive Cabotage Law will stimulate opportunities and policies for giving seafarers jobs and improve on shipbuilding capacity,” Ikpeazu stated.
In his response, Jamoh said, “Human beings are the most important link in the maritime industry and, at the same time, the weakest and most complicated in the industry.
“This administration will take the issue of training and capacity development of staff serious and we have gone further to maintain a close relationship with the maritime workers union to ensure that dockworkers are properly trained.”