The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) will undergo major reforms in the next one year to boast it’s capacity to drive the growth and development of the Nigerian maritime industry.
The Agency’s Director General, Dr. Dakuku Peterside who stated this recently also added that the reforms are in line with the ‘change’ agenda of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration which is committed to the diversification of the nation’s economy.
During an audience with a delegation of the Oxford Business Group led by its Country Director, Izabela Kruk, Dr. Peterside emphasised that the Agency has the requisite knowledgeable human capital saying what was required to refocus and reposition the Agency is a committed leadership which the present Management is willing to provide.
He said that the Agency is developing a medium term strategic growth plan which will aid the Management to focus on its core mandate of promoting the development of indigenous capacity in international and coastal shipping as well as effectively regulating the maritime industry in Nigeria.
While commenting on the public perception of NIMASA over the years, Dr. Peterside said that the Agency under his leadership will completely change the narrative from the negative perception of corruption, inefficiency and abandonment of its core mandate to that of a Maritime Administration that is alive to its responsibility intent on making Nigeria the preferred destination for maritime activities in Africa.
He emphasised that the Agency will leave no stone unturned, including seeking legislative amendment if need be, to ensure full compliance with the Cabotage Act 2003, which according to him is necessary to fast track the desired growth in the maritime sector.
The Country Director of the Oxford Business Group, Izabela Kruk had earlier expressed the readiness of the Group to partner the Agency in documenting and publicising NIMASA activities in its widely read journal.
Ms Kruk who highlighted the benefits of the Group’s partnership with some Nigerian agencies including the Nigerian Investment Promotion Council (NIPC) and the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) said the collaboration has yielded a lot of positive results for Nigeria pledging that they intend to do same for NIMASA.