The Minister of Transportation, Mu’azu Jaji Sambo, on Tuesday commissioned the new Abuja zonal office of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA).
The new building was named after the former Chairman, National Seafarers Welfare Board (NSWB), Otunba Olakunle Folarin, who died in November 2022.
Speaking at the Commissioning of the NIMASA office in Abuja, Sambo said the gesture was an appreciation of the great contributions of Otunba Folarin to the maritime sector.
The minister said the new office will serve as the nexus point between the NIMASA and the Federal Ministry of Transportation, the National Assembly, and all other relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies, as well as critical stakeholders like the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL), amongst others.
He said, “The Abuja Zonal Office further oversees the operations of the NIMASA’s Lokaja Safety Base, thereby playing a pivotal role in delivering the Agency’s regulatory responsibilities on safety matters in our inland waterways.
“Therefore, due to the strategic role the Abuja Zonal Office plays, it became imperative to establish a permanent station as several limiting factors encumber the current office from the restrictive nature of operating from a rented property, limiting NIMASAs ability to restructure and modify the facility to meet exigencies necessary to increase productivity, to the long-term financial implications of paying exorbitant rents.
“Apart from the reduction of cost of governance, the new Abuja zonal office will serve as the centrepiece of government relations on matters with bilateral and multilateral implications on international trade and cooperation, as such, enable the agency to host foreign diplomats and other key maritime stakeholders in the Federal Capital Territory, thereby helping the agency speedily achieve its mandate especially when they need to reach out to the different arms of government.
“All these factors have led to the acquisition of the new office and serve as further proof of the growth in capacity of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency due to its deepened role in the economic development of Nigeria.”
On his part, the Director General of NIMASA, Bashir Jamoh said, “Our intention is to build a solid foundation for NIMASA. This office was established in 1987 and the Abuja office remains a cardinal office that interfaces with other agencies. We don’t have an office environment, so the essence is to ensure that we maintain sanctity in terms of productivity to boost economic growth and development. This building will probably house the regional maritime bank.”