By Uzor Odigbo,
Lagos
Sequel to his promise when he took charge of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), its Director General, Dakuku Peterside, has reiterated commitment to helping investors in the maritime industry create wealth and job opportunities for the nation’s teeming youths.
He stated this in his new year message to stakeholders in the maritime industry as he decried the harsh operating environment, assuring that the country would be out of recession soon.
Peterside in the message contained in a statement by the agency’s Director of Corporate Communications, Hajia Lami Tumaka, said that NIMASA was focused on implementing its mandate in the new year.
He added that the agency was focused on realising its goal of making Nigeria a hub for maritime activities in the West and Central African Regions which would be preceded by restructuring and re-positioning of NIMASA which takes effect within the first quarter of the year.
“We are focused on the full implementation of our mandate in the new year. We have concluded the restructuring, repositioning and reformation of NIMASA which would take effect in the first quarter of 2017 with the aim of making Nigeria a hub of maritime activities in West and Central Africa.
“Our commitment is to make sure that indigenous operators maximise their potentials in our maritime industry whilst creating wealth and job opportunities for our teeming youths”.
Peterside further stated that the agency would fully implement it’s five pillar programme of maritime safety, security, search and rescue transformation; marine environment preservation; digital transformation initiative; capacity building initiatives; and cultural and attitudinal transformation.
According to the DG, the agency is poised to activate all these initiatives with a view to harnessing the vast opportunities inherent in the sector and generating revenue for the government for developmental programmes.
In a recent reshuffle of top management staff in NIMASA, the DG said that was in line with the change mantra where top managers are drafted to areas that require their expertise around the country.
